


Nothing Regular About Purgatory

by Cali_Dreamin



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Action & Romance, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, I'm Bad At Tagging, Romance, Thriller, bear with me, defintely awkward, holy twist, im begging, kinda dirty, this is hard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:26:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 23,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27524572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cali_Dreamin/pseuds/Cali_Dreamin
Summary: A small town with a big set of problems creates an unlikely bond between an outsider and a household name. Will the secrets of Purgatory be too much for Officer Nicole Haught to handle, or will Waverly Earp be able to show her the ropes before tragedy strikes? Follow the two unlikely friends as they navigate through a new friendship, and Purgatory's many strange obstacles.
Relationships: Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught
Comments: 11
Kudos: 84





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I like to make an appearance on here every couple of years (lol) with a new idea. I've recently discovered my love for Wynonna Earp, and couldn't help but write something about WayHaught. I've never written about this fandom before, so hopefully I do it justice. Welcome to any new readers that come along the way!! :) Can't wait to see where this story goes. ENJOY!!

Waverly Earp couldn't help but notice how irregularly warm the weather had been for Purgatory lately. Usually things like that would make her feel cheerful, calm even, but with everything that her and the family had been through lately, she was finding it hard for anything to cheer her up. Not even Jeremy and his usual tactics could put more than a small smile on her face. The others noticed how different she'd been acting, but decided it would be best to let her work through her problems on her own. As she sat at the small table in the kitchen of the Earp Homestead, she couldn't help but reflect over the happenings of the last couple weeks.

Wynonna had defeated the seven revenants that had changed her family forever, but not without difficulty. It was exhausting for all of them, constantly having to be on guard. Waverly felt as though she hadn't been able to breathe for days. The brunette was mentally and physically drained, but she'd never ever let it show to the rest of the team. She liked to believe that she was just as much of the backbone to the operation as her sister, Wynonna, so she felt an overwhelming need to protect the others at all costs, even if that meant she'd lose more than a few days of beauty sleep. 

As she sat and absentmindedly played with her cup off coffee thinking about the events over the last few weeks, Wynonna made a boisterous entrance into the kitchen, effectively breaking Waverly out of her reprieve. 

"Why so glum, Waves?" Wynonna plopped into the chair on the opposite end of the table and propped up her feet, she wasn't one for eloquent, and waited expectantly for a response. She'd been privy to her sister's mood change, and decided to finally get to the bottom of it. She cared deeply for her little sister, and wanted to make sure that whatever she was going through, was something that they could work through together. 

Waverly sighed. She knew this talk would happen soon, but she didn't quite know how to tell her older sister how she was feeling. How _was_ she feeling? She gave Wynonna a small smile and sat for a minute longer, focusing her gaze out of the kitchen window. Before she could overthink her response, she quietly spoke.

"Do you think it's over? Or is this just the beginning..." she trailed off, knowing that Wynonna would be able to understand what she was getting at. 

The older woman across from her smiled warmly, reassuringly. The truth was, Wynonna had absolutely no idea what came next, but she was going to do everything in her power to make sure that Waverly was comforted. She fixed her position in the chair, clearing her throat, she spoke confidently.

"Baby girl, to be completely transparent, I have not a single clue what happens from here on out," she chuckled grimly, causing Waverly to focus on her, "but I do know that we're going to get through this shit together." Wynonna said this with so much conviction, that the younger woman had no choice but to believe her. "We always have, and we always will. I know you're tired, and I know you're worried, but you have to trust that all of us know what we're doing...for the most part..."

Waverly smiled, and tried to relax. Before she could, Jeremy came rushing into the kitchen, not even noticing Waverly, rambling enthusiastically about needing to talk to Wynonna about something important. The two women shared a knowing look, and Wynonna blew Waverly a kiss before she slipped out of the kitchen. Pausing at the end of the stairs, the tired woman wanted nothing more than to go upstairs and collapse onto her comfortable bed. Knowing that was an impossible option, Waverly begrudgingly put on her coat and decided to make her way to the police station to work on more of her research. 

The station was more quite than usual, there was no hustle and bustle that she was used to seeing, but Waverly enjoyed the unexpected silence. She sat at her desk, scanning over her notes with intent concentration, looking for any clues as to what would come next in their seemingly never ending battle with the Revenants. So intense was her focus, that she didn't notice Sheriff Nedley approach the team office. She didn't notice the stranger accompanying him, and she didn't hear the light tapping on the door signaling their entrance. 

"Good morning Waverly!" Nedley was never this excited to see her, which frightened her more than his initial statement. She gasped, and nearly jumped out of her seat.

"Jesus Christ Nedley! Are you trying to kill me!?" She tried to recover, but as she looked up, her and the stranger locked eyes, effectively causing her to freeze in place. 

The woman stood tall and unfazed by the interaction unfolding before her, but Waverly was having a hard time composing her facial expressions. The woman in front of her was unlike anyone she'd seen before. She was stunning, intimidating, and incredibly attractive all at once. Her throat went dry. The three of them awkwardly stood there, before the situation could get even more uncomfortable, Sheriff Nedley cleared his throat and spoke up.

"Waverly, I'd like you to meet our newest Purgatory Deputy," He smiled proudly and gestured toward the woman standing beside him, "Officer Nicole Haught. She's going to be working with me closely from here on out, so I thought it would be nice to introduce her to you and your team of... of outstanding individuals." He smirked with the last bit. Anyone who knew the Earps knew that they were far from outstanding, and the rest of the group had adopted the same type of reputation. Guilty by association, if you will. 

Officer Nicole Haught smiled widely and extended her hand for Waverly to shake. Without hesitation, the petite brunette shook her hand firmly and offered her famously welcoming smile. 

"Pleasure to meet you, Waverly." Her tone was exuberant, and nothing less than polite. "I've heard so much about you and your family, and I can't wait to work alongside you fine folks." 

"Well I hope Nedley here has only been telling you the _good_ things about my family and I." Waverly gave the Sherriff a sideways glance before turning her attention back to the vibrant redhead before her. "We have quite the legacy around here." Maybe it was her exhaustion playing tricks on her, but she swore she felt a shock run through her body as soon as their hands touched, and when they separated, there was the slightest hint of heat left behind. 

"He may have left out some of the more interesting details, but I'm sure it wont be hard to find those out later on." The officer smirked playfully, and Waverly felt her heart skip a beat. Before Waverly had the chance to respond, Sheriff Nedley explained that there was more to show Nicole, and that they'd be back later to meet everyone else. 

"It was nice meeting you!" Waverly shouted as the two cops rushed out of the office. Nicole managed to shoot Waverly a wink before disappearing with Nedley around the corner. 

With a huff, she fell into her chair and shook her head, trying to shake of the daze that the redhead had left her in. She looked to the door that the two had just exited, and smiled to herself.

"Officer Haught... How fitting." 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope all you readers enjoyed the first chapter of this story! Going to keep up with this for as long as I can, and keep it as entertaining as I can. Excited to see where it ends up!

The rest of the day passed by in a blur, and before Waverly knew it, night had fallen on Purgatory. She leaned back in her chair and rubbed at the back of her neck, trying her hardest to release some of the tension that had formed there. She leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath. After many hours of work, she'd found little information that could be useful in aiding the team for the next few weeks. She was visibly agitated, but tried to calm down. She knew she'd accomplish nothing with the attitude that was beginning to develop. The sleepy woman was surprised that she'd been the only one to come to the office today, usually Wynonna made a few dramatic appearances just to give Nedley grief about anything and everything she could think of. Same goes for Jeremy, he practically lived here. Confused, Waverly searched for her phone that she'd unintentionally neglected while doing her research, and noticed she had several missed calls from Wynonna. 

"Shit," she breathed out in a whisper, more than one missed call never meant anything good, especially coming from her older sister. Bracing herself she redialed, waiting anxiously for an answer.

"Where the hell are you!?" Wynonna answered after the second ring, indicating that she'd been anticipating a call.

"I'm so sorry! I got caught up in my research at the office, don't worry, I'm okay!" The younger sister was apologetic, but also concerned that her absence had garnered this much worry. It was usually the other way around. 

"For the love of all that is Holy, get your ass home now!" With that, Wynonna ended the call. The older woman on the other end of the line sounded exasperated, which was not a good sign. Waverly knew better than to try and argue, so she packed up her stuff and headed for the door, taking care to lock it on her way out. She looked around and noticed that the station was almost completely empty, aside from a light on at a desk nearby. The desk, however, was unoccupied. There were a few open folders strewn about across the top of the desk, all neatly organized by whoever had been sitting there. 

Waverly didn't think this was out of the ordinary, but she certainly wasn't expecting anyone else to be here this late. With a slight shrug of her shoulders, she turned on her heel to make her way out of the station. Before she could get too far, a figure came from around the corner, and collided into her. 

The brunette felt the heat of the liquid on her before she even had a chance to react, and let out a small yelp. All of the papers she'd been carrying scattered across the floor, mixing with the ones the stranger had been carrying.

"Oh my goodness, I am so sorry!" The other woman yelled out, and rushed to help collect the papers while Waverly still stood in shock and in slight pain from the assumed coffee that had been spilled all over the front of her.

All Waverly could do was stand there, she'd never been in this type of position before. She was so preoccupied with the fact that she was now soaking wet, that she didn't even have a chance to realize who she'd actually bumped into. 

Officer Haught stood up from trying to gather all the papers that had made their way to the floor. She shook off the excess liquid from some of them, and turned her attention to the woman in front of her. Without thinking, she looked Waverly up and down, assessing the damage done. She noticed how the blouse that was now soaked in her coffee clung tightly to the woman's taught midsection, a sight that normally would have made Nicole shudder under different circumstances. She looked up and caught the horrified expression on Waverly's face and snapped back into reality. Shaking her head slightly, she offered an apology in the most sincere tone she could muster, "Waverly I am so sorry, I didn't hear you coming, I was so wrapped up in my-"

"It's alright," Waverly interjected curtly, she wasn't trying to be rude, but the current burns she was experiencing from the substance that she's now positive was coffee were a pressing issue. Without thinking, she quickly removed her blouse, and stood in front of the cop in only her jeans and bra. The relief was almost immediate, but so was the painful awareness that she was now standing in front of a woman who she barely knows, half naked. Her arms shot up to cover her exposed body, and she blushed a deep shade of red.

Nicole, stunned by what had just happened, spun on her heel to turn away from the exposed woman. 

"Um, I think Nedley may have some spare shirts, I can go find one for you." Nicole offered weakly, she'd never been in a situation like this before. Of course it had to happen on her first day in the office meeting someone she'd hoped to form a professional friendship with. She'd heard nothing but good things about the Earp sisters and wanted to make a good first impression. So much for that. She didn't wait for Waverly to answer, she awkwardly wandered off towards Sheriff Nedley's office to find something to help fix the mess she'd made. 

She rummaged through her boss' office, but came up empty handed. This situation was getting worse by the second, and the rookie police officer was running out of options. Without really thinking about it, she started undoing the buttons of her shirt and heading back to where Waverly Earp was still standing exposed. She ripped the shirt off of herself, leaving her in just her bullet proof vest and a white t-shirt. She extended the shirt to Waverly, who took it cautiously. 

"Are you sure?" 

"It's the least I can do, this is my fault."

"Nicole, it's really not that big of a deal, accidents happen." 

"I understand, but I still feel awful."

Waverly smiled, knowing that the apology from officer Haught was genuine, and began to put on the shirt that was offered to her. Right away she noticed how warm it was, and that it smelled like vanilla dipped donuts. The brunette could tell that Nicole was visibly uncomfortable, she wanted to show her that it was okay, wanted to give some sort of signal that she was forgiven. She reached out her hand, but was unable to make contact because in that moment her cellphone rang. Wynonna.

"Uh, I really have to get going, but I'm sure you'll make this up to me eventually?" Waverly smiled, her expression warm and hopeful. Nicole met her gaze and shyly nodded her head. 

"I'll see you around, Haught." The brunette gathered what she could of her papers and rushed for the exit. Whatever was waiting for her at the Homestead was not going to be pleasant, and having to explain this situation to Wynonna and the others was not going to be easy. 

Nicole stood and watched Waverly's figure disappear into the darkness, then bent down to finish cleaning up the mess. "Nice going, Haught. You really know how to make a first impression..." She trailed off as some of the papers on the floor caught her attention. She studied them intently, noting that they were definitely Waverly's. It was material she'd never seen before, but was pretty sure that it didn't belong in the hands of someone she assumed was just a regular civilian. Her brow furrowed as she continued reading over the documents. Why hadn't Nedley briefed her on all of these disturbing disappearances and mass murders? As she walked back to her desk still looking over the documents, there was something else on her mind. She sat down and smiled, already planning on how to make it up to Waverly Earp.

The tires of her jeep skidded to a halt in the gravel of the long driveway leading up to the Homestead. After shutting off the engine and gathering her things, she rushed to the front door. Her thoughts had been in overdrive on the ride home, she didn't know what to expect, but she was sure that it wasn't good. Her brain hadn't even had time to process what had happened between her and the deputy back at the station. She wasn't sure how she was going to explain her wardrobe malfunction to her sister who was probably already upset with her. With a deep breath, she barged through the door and called out for everyone. After being met with silence, she rushed to the kitchen and was almost brought to tears by the scene in front of her.

"Well it's about damn time you showed up!" Wynonna leapt up from the table and rushed over to hug her younger sister. She embraced the smaller woman and hugged as tightly as she could. "Where the hell have you been, Waves!?" She released Waverly from her hug and held her out at arms length to look her over. A look of confusion overtook her warm features as she noticed the shirt. Nothing seemed to escape Wynonna's notice these days.

"Hmm, Randy Nedley, spring edition?" She couldn't keep the sarcastic tone out of her voice, but before Waverly could answer, Jeremy rushed over and lead the sisters back to the table. 

"Horrible fashion choices aside, we love you Waverly! Please stop being so sad and mopey, that's Doc's job!" It was hard to be upset with Jeremy around. He had the uncanny ability to cheer anyone up, and Waverly knew from the moment she'd met him that there was something special about him. The longer he stuck around, the more her suspicions were confirmed. Jeremy was family. So there was no doubt in her mind that this surprise taco dinner was his idea. Wynonna was a shit cook, Doc had absolutely zero skills in the kitchen, and Dolls was... well he was Dolls. Waverly was on the verge of tears when she felt an arm sling over her shoulder.

"Now darlin', let us not waste this culinary achievement on tears!" Doc handed her a shot glass filled to the brim with an amber colored liquid, she wasn't much of a drinker, but when it came to Doc Holliday and his whiskey, she knew better than to refuse. "This is a time of celebration!" He raised his shot glass in the air, and then downed the drink in one impressive swig, unfazed by the burn that it caused in his throat. The brunette followed suit, wincing slightly. She wasn't as used to the sting of whiskey as the rest of the group.

"And what exactly are we celebrating?" She spoke, coughing slightly, but smiling at everyone that was in front of her. 

"These pat few weeks haven't been easy for us baby girl, and we've all needed a break, so what better way to recharge our batteries than with tacos and alcohol!?" Wynonna said excitedly before throwing back a shot of her own. Waverly could tell that her sister was drunk, her speech was beginning to slur, and her posture was much more relaxed than normal. "Hell, even Dolls needs to relax every once in awhile!" The impaired woman shot agent Xavier Dolls, who was leaned back in one of the chairs at the table, an exaggerated wink. He smirked and took a shot. 

"Alright, everyone, dig in!" Wynonna shouted, and they all took there respective spots at the table.

Playful banter ensued as they all ate and drank till they were stuffed. Waverly felt herself beginning to relax, happy that she was with the people that mattered to her the most in the world. Also, she was very happy that she didn't have to explain why she was wearing someone else's clothes. Waverly let her mind wander back to the incident at the sheriff's station and couldn't fight off the smile that spread across her face. She was intrigued by the shy redhead, but before she thought too hard about her, she focused back to her family and let herself enjoy the moment. She didn't know when they'd get the chance to feel this normal again. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys have been enjoying your week. Here's chapter 3! Got a little distracted by some other fics that i've been reading, but here it is nonetheless lol.

After the excitement of taco night had worn down, Waverly could no longer fight off her exhaustion. She excused herself from the group, much to the protests of her older sister, and made her way sluggishly from the kitchen. The more she thought about it, she couldn't actually remember a time she'd ever been this tired. As she made her way up the creaky old stairs of the homestead, she couldn't help but smile to herself about how the night had played out. The brunette was sure that she'd come home to some sort of conflict, that was just how it was being an Earp. Always had to be prepared for the worst. It was like a breath of fresh air finally coming home to something _fun._ As she hauled her weary bones up the stairs, tipsy and tired, something tugged at her conscience. She didn't give it too much thought though because the only thing she had energy for was a hot shower and her nightly routine. 

With the completion of her meticulous nightime routine, Waverly launched her body into the welcoming bed, flopping down face first into her an unhealthy amount decorative pillows. She huffed out a relieved sigh and postioned herself under an even more unhealthy amount of blankets. This was the time of night that, for months, had plauged Waverly with nightmares about the Revenants that haunted her family, but tonight she dreamt of something entirely different. Images of blazing red hair and a dimpled grin helped the brunette drift off to sleep. Right before she completely succumbed to months of sleep deprivation, she glanced over to the Deputies shirt hanging on the back of her bedroom door and couldn't help the small sheepish grin that fell on her lips. 

"What time did you end up leaving the station last night?" Nedley asked Nicole as they both served themselves a cup of coffee. The man tried to act dissinterested, but he was pleasantly surprised that anyone would have thought to bury themselves in as much reports as he'd given her on her first day. The newest Deputy continued to surprise Nedley, right down to the fact that she was there before him that morning, even after leaving significantly after he'd gone home the night before. 

Nicole smiled sheepishly, slightly shrugging her shoulders before speaking. "Not too late, I just wanted to get a head start on some paper work, you guys are kind of behind." She teased lightly, trying to cover up her lie. Nicole had stayed late... very late. Not only was she consumed by the paperwork she'd been given, but she was also studying the photographs she'd mistakenly come upon with a frightening amount of interest. She knew she wasn't supposed to see them, but she also couldn't keep herself from looking through them over and over again. 

The older sherriff knew something was off, but chalked it up to Nicole being tired and dropped it. Giving a short hum of approval, he surveryed the rest of the office over the rim of his coffee mug. Admiring all of the people at the station he'd come to know during his time in Purgatory. The silence that fell between them was comfortable, like it would be between two people that had known each other for a number of years. He felt compelled to speak, but quite find the words. Instead, he offered her a smile and made his way to his office. 

Nicole let out a huff of air that she didn't realize she'd been holding in. She didn't like lying to her boss, but she also didn't know how he'd react to her working so late. Surely he'd be curious as to why, and the woman really didn't feel like explaining that she'd come across some information that she wasn't supposed to know. Also, there was the fact that she'd made a complete fool out herself. She cringed internally thinking about the exchange between herself and Waverly Earp. She could feel a blush creeping up cheeks, and cursed how clumsy she could be. 

Before she could make herself feel any worse, the sound of someone pooring themselves a drink snapped her back to reality. 

"Sorry," the stranger grumbled, "just wanted to get here before Nedley left us all with the shitty coffee." Nicole stared over into tired blue eyes, but didn't speak. She felt silly standing there, but her tired brain couldn't form a response fast enough. 

"Or-Or did he already leave us with the shitty stuff and you're an accomplice!?" The woman's eyes went wide in mock horror and she grabbed her throat like she'd been poisoned. "I did _not_ mentally prepare to lose my life this early in the morning, at the damn purgatory Sherriff's Department no less!" She made horrible choking noises that Nicole didn't think a regular human should be making, and stumbled over, slamming into the counter in front of both women. 

"Ha, just kidding," The brunette woman laughed and stood back up with a bounce, clearly very proud of her performance. "What? Cat got your tongue, Red?" She gazed at the deputy expectantly. Nicole tried to shake the stunned look off her face to no avail, Purgatory was getting stranger by the second. 

"You must be Wynonna." The red head stated flatly. Sherriff Nedley had warned Nicole about her, stating that she was a woman that seldom required an introduction because usually she could be seen or heard causing a ruckus in any public place. Admittedly, he'd been right.

"Alive and in the flesh! Much to the dismay of many, _many_ people in this fine town." The sarcasm apparent in her tone as she extended her hand for Nicole to shake. It hung there awkwardly before the deputy gripped Wynonna's hand firmly. Catching the brunette a bit off guard.

"Easy there Law and Order, I need that hand." Wynonna said as she clutched her hand to her chest, a bit exaggerated. "Who are you?" She eyed the woman suspicioulsy, "One of Nedley's new cult members- I mean deputies?"

Sarcasm runs deep in this one, Nicole thought to herself.

"Nicole Haught. Barely alive and plenty tired, much to the dismay of the fine towns folk i'm supposed to be protecting." 

"Snippy _and_ a redhead? A combination I live for." Wynonna winked, and Nicole gasped, mildly concerned for the sanity of the blue-eyed woman.

Before the conversation got more awkward, Wynonna's attention was turned to her ringing cellphone. "Sorry Red but I've got to take this, catch you on the flip side." 

And as quickly as she'd appeared, the brunette was gone. Nicole questioned whether the interaction had even been real, the strange nature of it causing her to question her own mental stability. 

She stood there, with her now cold coffee in hand and let out a humorless laugh. "There's just something about those Earps."

There hadn't been much action at the station that day, and Nicole was partially thankful for it. Her head was cloudy due to lack of sleep, and she wasn't sure if she'd be able to handle another call about rowdy teenagers having fun terrorizing the elderly people of Pugatory trying to enjoy a quiet Sunday afternoon. She rubbed at her tired eyes with the back of her hand, yawning, unashamed at who might have seen her. She tried to focus on her computer screen, but it was hopeless. She pushed back from her desk and stretched her long, heavy limbs, before settling lazily into her chair. She swayed back and fourth with her head leaned back, eyes to the ceiling, thinking about how good it would feel once she was home curled up on her couch in fer favorite sweats and hoody watching trashy reality TV. She closed her eyes and sighed contently, making a promise that she would never deprive herself of sleep ever again on a work night. 

The faint sound of approaching footsteps, and the quite clearning of a throat broke Nicole from her fantasy. She slowly opened her eyes and was startled to see Waverly Earp smiling at her from the other side of her desk. Nicole tried gracelessly to fix her posture in the chair, failing miserably to look as natural as possible while she hurried to look like she was actually working. Of course, it was hopeless. Waverly tried hard to stifle her giggle that made it's way out of her, but the damage had already been done. Nicole felt her cheeks go hot, but spoke confidently. "Don't you know how dangerous it is to sneak up on a cop?"

"Does that apply to ones that are sleeping on the job?" Waverly responded with brows raised and a smirk tugging at her lips.

Nicole squared her shoulders defiantly, trying her absolute hardest to look professional, but Waverly wasn't buying it. "It's okay," she continued boldly, "even girls that looks as good you need beauty sleep." 

As badly as Nicole wanted to crawl under her desk and hide from yet another awkard encounter with an Earp, she brushed off Waverly's comment and focused her attention to what the hazel eyed woman had in her hands. It was her uniform shirt from the night before. 

"Well I wasn't expecting to see that so soon," she nodded towards the shirt, and Waverly clung to it a moment longer before handing it over. "And I defintely wasn't expecting it to be so... clean?" Nicole placed the shirt on her desk and looked up at the woman who sported a sheepish grin, and a growing blush. 

"I couldn't just give it back in the conditon it was in. It smelt like stale coffee and had the stains to match." Waverly said this as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and Nicole couldn't keep the dimpled grin from creeping across her face. 

Waverly faltered just a bit before composing herself and getting to the point. Those dimples were some of the deepest she'd ever seen, but didn't have the time to focus on them at the moment. 

"Also, it's come to my attention that some of my documents got left behind last night. Would you happen to have them?" 

Nicole froze. She hadn't expected to see Waverly today, not that she expected anything from the woman she hardly knew, and she certainly wasn't expecting her to ask about the documents. Nicole had to fight to keep the guilty expression off of her face before adressing Waverly directly.

"Oh yeah, Um-I-," it was painfully obvious that the red headed deputy was flustered, Waverly hadn't intened for that to happen, but she had to admit that watching Nicole flounder for the papers was nothing short of endearing. 

"Here!" The nervous officer exclaimed with a strained smile while handing waverly back her coffee stained documents. 

"Thanks, Haught."

"Not a problem, Earp." 

The two women smiled at each other. Nicole took note of how happy Waverly looked today, a stark difference to the stressed out and far less clothed version of the woman she encountered last night. She thought to point that out, but before she could, static over her radio caught her attention.

" _Officer Haught, we've got a B &E over there at that sporting goods store on Main&5th. You want it or should we send Lonnie?" _

The familiar voice of Doris over in Dispatch effectively intruded on the moment the women were having. Nicole offered Waverly an apologetic smile before responding with a 10-4 into the radio. She stood from her desk, kissing her fantasy of sweat pants and a comfy couch goodbye, and turned her attention to the hopeful woman in front of her.

"Thank you for returning my shirt. I really don't know what I would have done with one less in my wardrobe." 

Waverly giggled at the dry humor. Before saying goodbye, a surge of courage rushed through her. She had no idea what possessed her to say it, but before she could think about it, the words came hurdling out.

"I mean't what I said you know... About finding a way to make it up to me. I'll be holding you to it." Waverly caught a glimpse of Nicole's shocked expression before turning to leave the station, and nothing could have satisfied her more. 

Waverly decided to meet up with Wynonna and Dolls at the local coffee shop before heading back home. She wanted to speak with them about certain information she'd collected during her hours of research yesterday. Nothing too important, but nothing that wasn't worth a little sharing either. The drive from the station to the coffee shop was short, but that didn't stop her from blasting her radio and singing along at the top of her lungs to whatever song was blaring through the speakers of her jeep. 

As she pulled up to the coffee shop, she did her absolute best to get the images of Nicole Haught being incredibly flustered out of her brain before going inside to see her sister and Dolls. Try as she might, they stayed with her, seemingly taking up permanenet residence in her cerebral cortex. There was something about the woman that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Whatever it was, Waverly decided that she wanted to get to know her better. 

She exited her jeep, folders of paperwork clutched tightly to her chest, when a dark figure in the shadows of the alleyway closest to the coffee shop caught her attention. She froze in place. The shadow didn't move, it just stood there dauntingly watching her from the distance. She willed her legs to move, but she was stuck in place by some mysterious force that held her there.

The shadowy figure made a move to step closer. It clung to the darkness of the alleyway, avoiding as much light as possible. Waverly was still unable to move with a now sinking feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't explain it, but she was overcome with a horrible sense of dread, like when you know something bad is going to happen and can't do a damn thing about it. Her legs began to tremble and time felt as though it had stopped completely. Whatever influence this _thing_ had over her was powerful, as hard as she tried she couldn't fight through it. 

Another step forward and Waverly could make out a pair of eyes that were glowing an evil shade of red. She whimpered, but still couldn't move her body or call for help. 

Another step.

The sinking feeling in Waverly's stomach turned into violent nausea. 

Another step.

The woman began to shake furiously, but could now make out a distinct figure standing no more than twenty feet in front of her. It smiled, showing off the sharpest teeth Waverly had ever seen and snarled at her. 

Another step.

It was toying with her, and she was completely helpless. It was now at the very entrance of the alleyway and opened it's mouth like it was going to speak. Instead, something caught it's attention behind Waverly it let out a low, humorless laugh before taking off in the opposite direction.

As quickly as it had happened, it was over. 

Waverly's body went slack, and she fell to the floor with a loud thud. In a daze, she looked up to see worried blue eyes coming towards her from the entrance of the coffee shop.

"You okay, Baby girl?" Wynonna was visibly worried, rushing to close the distance and help her up off the floor, Deputy Doll's not far behind her. 

"What happened?" The older Earp dusted off her younger sister and gave her a quick once over to make sure that she was okay.

"Did you see something?" Doll's was never one for nurturing, he was a straight shooter that always got to the point. 

Waverly felt like all of her newly aquired energy had been sucked right out of her and all she could do was whisper. "The alley. Go check the alley." Without another word, Doll's took off in the direction that Waverly had mentioned and disappeared. 

Wynonna wrapped her up in a big hug, trying her best at comforting, but the brunette couldn't shake the feeling of dread that had fallen upon her during the encounter with the mysterious creature.

She was aware that the break they'd all get from the reality of their lives would be short lived, but she didn't think it would be _that_ short. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to hear how y'all feel about this. Also, i'm thirsty for interaction. Leave comments and let me know whatchya think. Let me apologize in advance for any spelling errors/typos you come across. For some reason my spell check wasn't working. I promise I'm not illiterate though.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another update. Thanks to everyone of you who have read and left Kudos so far, it is greatly appreciated. Don't hesitate to leave comments, they keep me motivated! :)

"Nothing in the alley. How you feeling, Earp?" Dolls questioned as he slid into the open spot in the booth next to Wynonna, offering Waverly a small reassuring smile. Waverly took note of how he was more tense than normal, but attributed it their current situation.

The brunette let out a shaky breath before answering. "Honestly? I feel drained. It's like whatever that was sucked all the energy out of me. I couldn't move, couldn't speak... I'm not sure what would have happened if you guys hadn't come outside when you did." An involuntary shudder made it's way through Waverly's body as the image of the shadowy figure replayed in her mind. The feeling of a gentle squeeze to her hand forced her to look into piercing blue eyes.

"There's no way in hell I would let a damn thing happen to you, Waves." Wynonna stated firmly while gripping her younger sister's hand. The three of them sat in momentary silence as a cloud of tension continued to loom over the group.

Waverly inhaled deeply to steady herself before relaxing back into her seat, cup of coffee forgotten as she tried to focus her attention on the reason they were there in the first place. 

"So," she started, leaning forward to bring out her documents for them to see, "the other night while I was working on my research, I came across something interesting." The woman produced photographs and other papers for Dolls and Wynonna to go over individually as she spoke.

"Those seven revenants you killed Wy, were all tied together by one thing that we all overlooked before. They all had similar criminal backgrounds, but when I dug a little deeper, I found this." She showed them a piece of paper with bits and pieces of information, Dolls scanned it intently while Wynonna continued to stare blankly at her. She wasn't one for reading. 

"When I read their records, I found it interesting that they were all arrested under the same circumstances scattered over different periods of time, some of them happening years apart. All taking the fall for the same crime, protecting the same unnamed person. That man, however, has proven to be quite elusive for the law enforcement of Purgatory. They were all working for the same crime boss, but no one was able to connect the dots. They were working for the biggest drug organization the Ghost River Triangle has ever seen." Waverly sat back sporting a proud smile on her face, knowing that hours of research was paying off. Dolls was still buried in the documents when Wynonna finally spoke up.

"I'm sorry Waverly, but you've lost me. How is any of this relevant to us?"

Waverly couldn't help but roll her eyes at the older woman across from her. "Because Wynonna, it means that there are more than seven people responsible for what happened. More people-a lot more- could be coming after us because of what Daddy did." It wasn't lost on either woman that they'd be haunted by the decisions of their father for years, but neither of them knew how bad it could actually get.

_Ward Earp did his honorable best to serve the people of Purgatory. He turned out to be the finest deputy that the small, crime infested town had seen in years. He managed to clean up the streets of his hometown all while trying to revamp the image of a then incredibly crooked police department. In fact he'd done such a great job, that he'd been named Sherriff._

_During one particular year of Waverly's early childhood, she noticed a drastic change in her father. He was no longer the affectionate, caring man that he'd been. Instead, he was cold and hollow, turning to whiskey and other frightening means of release to ease the growing stress of his job. Maybe it was the fact that their mother had left, maybe it was how he could never seem to leave his work at the station anymore, or maybe it was because he was becomming everything he hated about Purgatory._

_The man was known for being fearless, and treading where no one else would. His tactics for fighting crime gained him many supporters, and even more enemies. After a particularly messy case, Ward never stopped looking over his shoulder. The atmosphere at the Homestead was always tense, and the girls knew better than to get in his way when he was there._

_They never saw the attack coming._

_It was sudden, merciless and organized. Ward Earp was forced to watch as his oldest daughter, Willa Earp, was dragged out of their home and murdered in front of him._

_The screams of her father and oldest sister still plagued Waverly's nightmares_ _._

 _After being instructed to do so by their dad, Wynonna managed to hide herself and Waverly in the hidden cellar under the floor of the living room._ _Ward Earp fought hard for his life and the lives of his remaining daughters. A rage like no other taking over him as he grappled with the men trying to restrain him._

_Time seemed to move in slow motion after a final gunshot echoed in the chests of the girls in hiding. They huddled together, holding their breath as men ransacked the home searching for them. Waverly choked back sobs as tears rolled down her face. She pushed her hands over her mouth, hoping with everthing in her that the men above wouldn't hear her hushed cries. Wynonna held her close, swallowing down fury that was beginning to burn inside her like an out of control wild fire._

_It had been nearly three hours before they came out of that dark and cold cellar._

_The familiar voice of Deputy Randy Nedley calling for them spurred them to move from their spots. The young girls were taken out of the home and walked outside, where they saw the carnage of the vicious attack._

_Waverly saw them first. Her father and sister were covered by thin white sheets that were too short to cover the full length of their bodies. The sight of Ward's familiar boots and Willa's worn in house slippers caused a feeling of panic to course through her and she screamed louder than she ever had before. She took off running towards them, but was stopped by a pair of strong arms. Deputy Nedley grabbed her and carried her over to a waiting squad car while she thrashed and wailed in his arms. Wynonna stood frozen, unshed tears from earlier now falling freely down her face, as she tore her gaze away from the bodies of her family and watched as Waverly was carried away to a waiting squad car._

"Will we ever stop paying for the mistakes of our father?" Wynonna let out with in an exasperated laugh. Waverly knew it wasn't a question she actually wanted an answer to, just something she said often when frustrated about the current circumstances of their lives.

"This information means that we can finally start looking in the right direction, Wynonna, we wont just be chasing dead ends anymore." Waverly leaned forward and grabbed both of her sister's hands, squeezing gently. The older woman dropped her gaze and took a deep breath to steady herself. She looked up with an intensity in her expression that Waverly had not seen in a very long time. It sent a wave of shivers down her spine, and she prepared herself for whatever decision Wynonna was about to make.

"Whatever it takes, we will do to make sure that our family is brought some sort of justice."

The tone of finality in her voice confirmed what Waverly already had a suspicion of. That the seven men who had already been killed were just the beginning of a long, emotional journey that she wasn't sure would have a happy ending.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I normally write my stories out before I type them, but decided to just type as I go with this one to see what happens. So far so good....? I hope? lol


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter I posted was nice, but not long enough. Hopefully this makes up for it? :)

It had been nearly two whole weeks since Nicole had seen Waverly at the station. She saw Wynonna frequently- a little _too_ frequently- around the office, but the younger Earp sister was like a ghost. Nicole was beginning to wonder if she'd even been real, or if she was just a figment of her imagination. The deputy had been so consumed with work in the early part of her absence, that she'd barely noticed, but now it was becoming painfully obvious that Nicole wanted nothing more than to catch a glimpse of the evasive brunette. 

During her particularly dull afternoon at work, Nicole found herself entertaining the idea of actually making it up to Waverly about the whole coffee incident.

In-between filing police reports, her mind wandered through all the possibilities of what she could do, and none of them seemed appropriate. After all, they had to maintain a professional relationship for the workplace, there was no way that Nicole was going to risk her reputation over a woman. Especially a woman that she didn't know. That didn't mean Nicole couldn't _think_ about having an inappropriate relationship with the petite brunette. 

Of course she found her incredibly attractive, how could she not? The red headed officer felt her stomach twist in knots whenever she thought about their interaction, and how the damp blouse clung to Waverly's exquisitely toned midsection. The sight had made her throat go dry, and not just because it was the most awkward interaction she's ever been apart of. 

absentmindedly, Nicole bit at her bottom lip, losing herself in the thoughts of Waverly taking off her top in front of her. She wondered how the smaller woman would have felt pressed up against her, how their lips would have felt while they moved together in a slow rhythm, or how the brunette would have responded to Nicole biting down on her-

"Hey there Haught-stuff!" Nicole practically jumped out of her skin.

She could feel her cheeks reddening as she fought to compose herself. She looked up, and her eyes met an amused expression.

"Did I just catch you daydreaming about me again?" Wynonna wiggled her eyebrows at the flustered woman, a smirk settling on her lips as she watched Nicole fidget uncomfortably in her seat.

"Wynonna. Always a pleasure to see you." Nicole forced a smile and sat stiffly in her seat, trying hard regain her composure.

"Wellll that's not a 'no'," Wynonna sing-songed, the amusement apparent in her tone. 

"As badly as I'm sure you want me to be daydreaming of you Wynonna, I'm sorry but that's not what was happening. Now, can I help you with something?" Nicole couldn't keep the impatience out of her tone. After all, she was very clearly busy doing whatever it took to get her out of this conversation.

"Ouch Haught, you really do know how to put a damper on a girl's ego." The dark haired woman feigned hurt. "I'll let you off the hook this one time, but I'm pretty sure I caught you thinking of _someone._ "

"Wynonna! The Point!"

"Okay okay! Jeez take it easy," Wynonna threw her hands up in defense, "I'd really like your police reports from any and all drug arrests you, or any of these other lovely officers have made in the last 6 months." She smiled and batted her eyelashes at the deputy, hoping that her Earp charm would win the woman over.

"You know I'm not allowed to do that Wynonna." Nicole stated flatly, not falling victim to the pitiful attempt of flirting. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest, defiance written all over her posture. 

"Even if I'm the one asking?"

The familiar voice elicited a surprised gasp from the deputy, and Wynonna spun around on her heel to see the unexpected visitor.

"Jesus Waverly! Are you trying to kill me!?" Wynonna said as she clutched her chest clearly taken off guard.

Waverly shrugged innocently and looked over her sister's shoulder at Nicole. She waved, and smiled broadly at the stunned woman.

"I-I can't release police reports, no matter which Earp is asking." Nicole winced as the words came out. She didn't want to tell the woman no, but the ever-present need of keeping things professional weighed heavy on her conscience. 

Waverly stepped forward and leaned on her desk, a pout apparent on her lips. Nicole looked from her lips, to her eyes, and back down to her lips before faltering just a tad. 

"It is against th-the rules for me to do that..." She trailed off as Waverly began to bat her eyelashes repeating what her older sister had tried to pull on Nicole moments earlier. Nicole cursed herself internally for being so weak when it came to this specific set of hazel eyes. 

"Weren't rules meant to be broken?" Waverly knew exactly what she was doing when she leaned further forward in the red head's space, showing off the bit of exposed cleavage that she knew looked good in the blouse she was wearing, and almost felt bad for putting Nicole in this position. _Almost._

She watched as brown eyes dropped to her chest, and smirked as an audible gulp was heard from the other side of the desk. 

"Okay. Fine." Nicole huffed out in a near whisper. Dropping her eyes to her desk, too embarrassed to look at the woman in front of her. She couldn't believe it was that easy for Waverly to render her this defenseless. 

"Yay! Thank you, Haught!" The brunette went back to standing in an upright position, and clapped while bouncing up and down excitedly. Nicole smiled at her weakly, trying really hard not to focus on the spectacle in front of her. She was disappointed in herself for giving in so easily. She knew this decision would come back to haunt her.

The slow clap coming from behind Waverly gave her something else to focus on, something a lot less.. bouncy.

"Well, well, well, Haught. _Now_ I know which Earp you were daydreaming about. Remind me to bring the little sis to the office more often." Wynonna said smugly, a teasing glint in her eye as she smirked over to Nicole. 

"I'll get those reports to you as soon as I can." Nicole deflated, knowing full and well that she'd been caught. She didn't dare look at Waverly, who she could feel staring at her from where she stood.

"Good girl." The older woman winked and retreated to her office, leaving them to speak alone,

"Do I even want to know what she's referring to?" Waverly asked while pointing her finger at Wynonna's fleeing figure. 

Nicole moved restlessly under Waverly's questioning gaze. "She just likes to tease me. Must be because I'm new around here." The deputy knew not to take any of the banter personally. She's witnessed how the older Earp sister has treated others around the station and knew that it could all just be attributed to a toxic personality trait. That didn't mean it made her feel anymore comfortable with it. She needed to get better with her quips in order to go toe to toe with Wynonna.

"Yeah, she's a bit rough around the edges," Waverly offered, "but I've found that if you beat her at her own game, she can't do anything other than respect you."

"Where have you been?" The words slipped out before Nicole could stop herself, and she instantly regretted it. The brunette stiffened, and stared at her awkwardly, waiting for Nicole to elaborate. "I mean I-I haven't seen you around, and I thought you worked here, but I guess I don't know. Er-not saying that you don't work or anything, I just thought we'd be working together and I-" 

"You know, you're kind of cute when you get all flustered like this." Waverly cut Nicole off before she could continue to make a fool out of herself. She smiled fondly at Nicole, biting the tip of her tongue between her teeth to hold back a giggle. 

Watching Nicole flounder helplessly helped relax her a bit. She didn't think the red headed woman would be paying attention to her absence, but she was wrong. It made Waverly feel a bit giddy at the thought that the woman might have missed her. She didn't dwell on it though.

If Nicole thought she was flustered before, hearing the brunette say that she was cute sent her into full blown gay panic.

She chuckled nervously and looked into soft hazel eyes, maintaining eye contact. A random rush of confidence spurred Nicole to smirk at Waverly before exploring the conversation.

"Yeah well, it's not easy for some of us to just be cute _all_ of the time, so I'll take what I can get." The slight blush that crept onto sun kissed cheeks encouraged her to continue. "I've been thinking, you asked me to make it up to you for the coffee incident the other night. Were you serious? Or were you just trying to flirt your way into more paperwork?" The redhead smirked confidently, not knowing where the sudden surge of cockiness came from. Especially after being rendered to a mess under the heated gaze of the now shy brunette in front of her. 

"Of course I was serious! I mean, not that you owe me anything, but I meant it." Waverly looked at Nicole expectantly, wondering what this feeling inside of her was. There was something about the stunning woman that made her stomach flip, even though the interactions between the two of them were few and far in-between.

"Alright well, whenever you're available, what do you say we go and get some drinks over at Shorty's?"

"Sure, that sounds fun." Waverly bit her bottom lip, and watched as brown eyes flickered down to watch the movement. 

Nicole smiled, and relaxed back into her chair. She extended her arms above her head in a long stretch, and exhaled a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "Great. Does this mean we should exchange numbers now?"

"I suppose it does."

The two women traded numbers, and as Waverly walked away from Nicole's desk, she put an extra sway in her hips that she hoped didn't go unnoticed by the deputy. Before she turned the corner, she looked back just in time to catch Nicole's eyes on her toned backside. The woman's mouth hung open slightly, and a crimson tint took over her cheeks after realizing she'd been caught. She coughed and tried to focus her attention back to her desk.

Waverly laughed on her way out of the station, internally chastising herself for staying away from the office for so long.

_The shadow watched from across the street as Waverly walked out of the stations heavy double doors. She was distracted, not noticing the pair of glowing eyes following her every move. The figure growled quiety, baring a set of sharp teeth as he watched the fragile woman climb into her vehicle and drive off._

_He was tired of waiting, tired of observing from a distance. He knew what the Earp's were capable of, but wouldn't dare disobey his orders. Showing himself the first time was a mistake he wouldn't be quick to repeat, he knew now that figuring out their weaknesses would be the only way to rid him of them once and for all._

_With a smirk, he quickly faded back into the shadows he studied Waverly Earp from._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WayHaught fics have been consuming my life lately and I'm 100% not even mad about it. I can only dream that this comes out as good as the ones I've been reading lately. *Nervous laughter*


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love meeee

Nicole was well aware that the decision she'd made to help Waverly wasn't a good one, but as she walked towards the unfamiliar office of the Purgatory Police Station, she couldn't fight off the small smile that tugged at her lips. The manila folder containing the records she'd been asked for was tucked securely under her arm as she made her way to the Earp sisters. As reluctant as she'd been to help, the information was easier to gather than she thought it would have been. The deputy had to admit that something about it all made her feel _good._ She'd been badgering Nedley for weeks to give her tougher cases, but he wouldn't budge. 

This was still so new to her, but she couldn't figure out why it felt like the Sherriff had been sheltering her. Even though she was a rookie, her ambition was unmatched by any other officer she'd come across. It poked at her confidence, but Nedley assured her that the time would come. 

As she passed his office, the redhead kept her eyes glued to the floor. She knew he'd be disappointed. However, it was the thought of disappointing Waverly Earp _more_ that propelled her legs forward. 

She paused outside the door, hand raised to knock, but froze as a sudden wave of nervousness washed over her. There was something about stepping into unknown territory that put Nicole on edge. Maybe it was the fact that she was breaking a department rule, or maybe it was just the simple fact that Waverly made Nicole's throat close up that stopped her from knocking. Whatever it was, Nicole shoved it deep down and squared her shoulders before confidently tapping on the door. 

No answer.

She knocked again, but was greeted once more with silence on the other side.

With a slightly unsteady hand, she reached for the handle. To her surprise, the door had been left unlocked. 

Nicole poked her head inside the office, noting that it was indeed empty before she entered completely. 

The office was larger than she'd expected. It was big enough for four separate desks that were arranged neatly so the occupants could face each other, all adorned with their own personal decorations. In the middle of the room, there was a big black chalk board with different diagrams and pictures placed strategically about. Curious brown eyes scanned the different photographs, studying each subject with minimal interest. Her gaze settled on a particular photograph of a man with piercing eyes and a wickedness that was palpable through the portrait.

Something about the man was familiar, but Nicole couldn't quite place him. A memory tugged at her subconscious, but the sound of someone clearing their throat behind her caused her to lose focus.

Spinning to face the source of the noise in the doorway, she grasped at her chest to make sure that her heart was still safely tucked away in her body. A nervous laugh made it's way out of her before she could stop it, knowing that she'd been caught looking at something she wasn't supposed to see. _Again_.

The intimidating figure stood dauntingly in front of the door with arms crossed over a large chest, glowering over at the redhead. The stranger was clearly unamused by Nicole's presence, but made no attempt to speak.

"I-I'm sorry, I'm just here to drop off some documents for Wynonna and Waverly Earp." Nicole spoke evenly, forcing herself to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. She pulled the folder from underneath her arm and wiggled it in the air, hoping that it would serve as a good enough explanation for her intrusion. 

The stranger just stared with an unwavering expression as he observed Nicole fidget uncomfortably under his gaze. He watched as she dropped the folder to her side and stood, unsure of herself. With a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, he approached slowly, dark eyes never leaving hers. The deputy could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as the stranger came unnervingly close. 

His eyes flicked down to the folder in her hand, then back up to hard brown eyes. He slowly reached out his hand and snatched it away before she could protest, then stepped back to restore some of the space that had originally been there between them. 

_Who the fuck does this guy think he is?_

Nicole's hands twitched at her sides as she watched his eyes roam over the secret documents. She ground her teeth together, the increasing frustration with his behavior apparent in the hard expression on her face. Normally the fiery redhead would have no problem defending herself in a situation like this, but the tiny voice in the back of her head reminded her that she'd been the one caught snooping, so she bit her tongue.

"You're not supposed to be in here." The deep voice made Nicole jump, and she cursed herself for reacting in such a way that made her look weak. The last thing she wanted to do was show that the stranger was making her incredibly uneasy. 

"The door was unlocked, I was just trying to leave something for-"

"They're not here." He cut her off with a sense of finality that Nicole could feel in her bones, his eyes never leaving the information on the pages in his hands. 

"Well then, I-uh, I guess I'll just be on my way..." She trailed off and only received an uninterested hum in response.

The stranger took a slow step to the side, leaving Nicole just enough room to barely squeeze by him and out the door. She left in a rush of nerves and irritation, willing herself to keep her head held high as the door slammed behind her.

Dolls smiled to himself once he was alone in the office.

He made his way over to his desk, making sure to neatly place the folder on Waverly's workspace for her to see when she arrived later that day. He plopped down gracefully in his chair, silently patting himself on the back for the interaction with the nervous rookie cop.

The cool night air nipped at Waverly's exposed cheeks as she took the final steps towards the heavy wooden doors of Shorty's, the town bar that she'd practically grown up in. She was greeted by the familiar smell of stale alcohol and a delightfully warm gust of air when she walked in. 'There's no place like home' she thought to herself as she made her way to where Doc and Wynonna seemed to be wrapped up in a heated conversation at the warn down bar. 

"Has anyone ever told you two that you fight like an old married couple?" The brunette teased as she sat in the open seat next to Wynonna. Her older sister spun around on the rickety old bar stool that let out a shrill disapproving groan. The playful tone in Waverly's voice being the only thing that prevented the wild woman in front of her from completely losing her temper. 

"Doc here was juuust beginning to mansplain something about the makings of a good whiskey to _me_ before you politely showed up and saved his life." Her sister spoke, sarcasm dripping from her voice as she downed the amber liquid that was in the shot glass placed in front of her by the bartender. 

"I would never!" Doc tried to protest, but his moustache twitched as he shot a playful wink to Waverly while Wynonna was preoccupied with flagging down the barkeep for another round of shots. 

"Right, because you're so innocent." Waverly couldn't keep her eyes from rolling. The relationship between her older sister and Doc Holliday was an interesting one, and she did her best not to pay attention to either of them, but it was hard when the walls of the Homestead were so thin. 

Doc tipped his hat to her before returning to the conversation with Wynonna, who was now rambling on about the differences between the attention span of Male bartenders and Female bartenders while adjusting her cleavage in a way that let Waverly know she wasn't trying to pay for any of their drinks tonight.

Waverly chuckled at the antics of her sister and brought her eyes up from the beer that had been placed in front of her to survey the rest of the bar. She noted that it was surprisingly busy for a Thursday night, but was comforted by the energy buzzing all around her. 

She sat comfortably in her barstool watching the different groups on people mingle with each other in the crowded, hazy bar. She always found herself envious of the blissfully ignorant people of Purgatory. The ones that hadn't yet been subjected to the terrors the town had to offer when the sun dropped below the rugged terrain of the landscape surrounding them. Their lives always seemed so _easy._ With a sigh, she gulped at her beer and continued to scan Shorty's. 

Sounds of loud cheering and whooping brought her attention to the pool-tables, where her eyes landed on blazing red hair and a dimpled grin that made Waverly's breath hitch in her throat. 

The brunette choked slightly on her beer as she settled her lingering gaze on Nicole out of uniform. Was it even possible that the woman could look even better in regular clothes? The slight blush that crept it's way up Waverly's cheeks was a clear indication that yes, it was indeed possible. 

The woman was wearing simple black jeans, a button up blue blouse that she had rolled up over her biceps that looked positively illegal to show off in such a place. The look was all tied together with a backwards baseball cap. It was unfair that she looked so good, it was almost like she wanted Waverly to sit across the bar and stare at her like a creep. 

The brunette absentmindedly ran her tongue over her lips as she watched Nicole bend over the table to line up her shot, slightly exposing the dimples of her lower back. Even in the lowlight of the bar, Waverly could see the concentration on her face. Her lips pursed slightly as she brought the stick back, winding it up to connect soundly with the cue ball. She stood confidently after effectively sinking the 8-Ball in the far corner pocket.

An eruption of cheers and applause caused that dimpled grin to reappear on Nicole's face. She received pats on the back from several people around her, the grin turning into a cocky smirk when one of the men on the opposite end of the table came around and handed her something that looked like a small wad of cash. 

They joked momentarily, but then Nicole paused to take a long draw from her beer that had been sitting on the edge of the table. Waverly watched as the redhead licked the remaining liquid off her lips and wondered how something so simple could make her stomach do flips.

"Hello? Earth to Waves!" Wynonna interrupted her staring with a few loud snaps of her fingers, but followed Waverly's gaze to where it had been shamelessly lingering on Nicole for longer than she realized.

Wynonna scrunched her face in confusion, trying to figure out who her little sister had been checking out. Perceptive blue eyes landed on none other than Officer Nicole Haught and gasped. 

"Do not tell me that your little flirting stunt with Tater-Haught over there was legitimate," Wynonna exclaimed in disbelief. "I thought you were just trying to help get us some files but _damn_ little sis, you've got it bad!" She roughly shoved Waverly's arm, causing some of her beer to spill in her lap.

"Wynonna! Pease!" Waverly couldn't keep the embarrassment out of her tone, but also didn't rush to deny her sister's claims.

A small smirk played at the edge of her mouth. She hadn't intended to be so openly flirtatious with the deputy, but there was something about the flustered state of Nicole in that moment that did things to Waverly's confidence. 

Whatever confidence she thought she had went right out the door when she looked back up in the direction of the pool tables and was met with playful brown eyes. 

"Welllll it looks like she's coming over here so you better nut up sis!" Wynonna said and quickly dragged Doc away from their respective spots at the bar by his arm while he grumbled about spilling his perfectly good beer.

"Wynonna!" Waverly whisper yelled at the retreating form of her trouble-making sister. 

She looked back up to see Nicole making her way over to her spot confidently. The crooked smile on her lips growing into a full blown smirk as she got closer.

The deputy was only able to make it about halfway when abruptly, an arm slung over Waverly's shoulders and a sloppy kiss was planted on her cheek.

Waverly was mortified.

She looked back at Nicole who was standing awkwardly in the middle of Shorty's with wide eyes as she watched Champ Hardy grab Waverly's face to kiss her roughly on the lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, it means a lot :) As always, don't hesitate to leave comments to let me know what you think.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to update some of the tags because I realized that I did a terrible job at it. I hope y'all are enjoying it so far!

Whatever wave of confidence Nicole happened to be feeling when she decided to approach Waverly across the bar, was blown out instantly when she saw the stranger kissing her. Boyfriend maybe? The redhead didn't stick around to find out. Nicole awkwardly turned around and hustled for the back exit of Shorty's, desperately needing fresh air. Surely it was the five beers from throughout the night that had her feeling like she was going to puke all over her new shoes. Right, it couldn't have been anything other than the alcohol, she thought to herself while pushing her way around some of the questionable patrons in the hallway during her hasty retreat. 

A rush of cold night air greeted her when she threw herself out the back door, instantly remedying the nausea and stifling heat that overtook her. She leaned back against the frigid brick wall of the alley, inhaling deeply to calm her nerves. A humorless chuckle escaped her as she looked up to the expansive night sky, the ridiculousness of the situation was beginning to make her head spin.

The two women barely knew each other, but Nicole couldn't shake the feeling of disappointment from seeping in as she thought about the possibility of Waverly actually being taken. She thought back on their interactions and was _sure_ she'd read the signals correctly. Apparently, her gaydar was about as useless as her ability to read situations properly because this was not at all how she pictured the evening going. 

Disappointment quickly morphed into anger as the idea of being taken advantage of invaded her foggy brain. The internal battle she fought about helping the brunette and her sister hadn't been an easy one, it had been against her better judgement when she finally decided to get them what they needed. The deputy felt silly for thinking the flirtation had been anything more than a ruse to get something out of her. 

Nicole scolded herself for being so gullible.

The lack of sobriety she was currently experiencing made it hard to be rational, so the self-doubt slithered its way inside of her, taking up seemingly permanent residence in her head. With a resigned sigh, she pushed herself off of the wall and stumbled her way to the entrance of the alley that the backdoor of Shorty's was tucked away in. 

The last thing she wanted was another embarrassing encounter with the painfully attractive brunette. They've defintely had enough of those. 

_Yeah, if they haven't already left together._

The thought was intrusive, and made it hard for Nicole to keep the look of disgust off of her face. An involuntary shudder rolled through her as the image of the man - _boy? -_ boldly kissing Waverly replayed in her mind. If one could even deem what she saw a kiss. It looked like the poor cowboy was trying to eat Waverly's face. He definitely wasn't someone Nicole expected to see the woman with. To each their own she thought to herself as she made her way down the lonely sidewalk, saying a silent prayer that she wouldn't run into Waverly Earp at work the next few days. 

"Champ! What the _fuck_ are you doing!?" Waverly shouted loudly at the drunk mess of a man in front of her, shoving him forcefully into the barstool next to her. She roughly wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, trying as hard as she could to erase any and all traces of his saliva from her lips. She looked back up just in time to see the retreating figure of Nicole Haught. The expression on her face was burned into the brunette's retinas. She'd never seen the officer so surprised, not even when Waverly had taken off her shirt in front of her. 

With fire in her hazel eyes, she turned back to Champ. He smiled at her arrogantly, ignoring her icy glare, and licked his lips suggestively. 

"You know you liked it, baby." He wiggled his eyebrows, clearly impressed with himself, adding fuel to the fire that was already burning inside of the feisty brunette. He leaned forward to meet her gaze, nearly falling forward. "There's the kiss, now can we please make up? It's been like three months and I'm hor-"

He didn't get the chance to finish his sentence.

The punch straight to his nose prevented any other words from coming out. 

He rocked backwards, both hands flying up to clutch his bleeding face. He looked at her like she had three heads, not knowing how someone so small could pack that big of a punch. 

"I dumped you _six_ months ago champ! You're pathetic!" A rage unlike any other was overflowing out of Waverly, who most thought was too sweet to hurt a fly. Well, even a fly deserved more respect than Champ Hardy. 

She stepped away from him, looking up to see that all of eyes were on her. 

"What? Never seen a girl throw a punch before!?" She challenged. Everyone turned back to what they were doing, not wanting to deal with the ballsy woman. 

Without even sparing him a glance, Waverly reached over Champ to grab her purse before making a speedy exit to go find Nicole. 

The backdoor swung open to reveal an empty alley. Waverly looked around, calling out for the woman, but was only met with the sounds of animals rustling through the dumpster near her. She jogged towards the sidewalk, let down once again when the redhead was nowhere to be found. 

Waverly deflated. She was so excited to see Nicole walking over to her in the bar, unable to keep the blush from spreading across her cheeks. The deputy had looked so confident and attractive, it made the brunette's head swim. She was looking forward to an interaction with her that didn't revolve around work, but was now unsure if she'd ever get the chance because she was pretty sure that Nicole would never speak to her again. 

The sound of sinister laughter behind her interrupted the thoughts of Nicole.

She slowly turned around to see a man walking towards her. He was too far to make out any details, but close enough to make her skin break out in goosebumps. She tried to move, but similar to the situation outside the coffee shop, there was a mysterious force keeping her in place.

The man moved towards her, and just before he walked under the glaring light of a street lamp above, he stopped and took in the sight of her. She was much less afraid this time than she had been with their original encounter. Her expression was hard, and her fists were clenched at her sides. This amused him, and he stepped forward into the light in front of him. 

"Like what you see?" He said smugly. Waverly wanted to roll her eyes, she'd had enough with the mysogyny for the night, but found that her eyes were also unable to move. She studied him intently, trying to absorb as many details as she could.

He was tall, intimidatingly so, with sharp features that were accentuated by the shadows the light cast on him. His eyes were glowing, and his lips were curled back in a shit-eating grin to expose dangerously sharp teeth. He wore only an open fur coat, black jeans, and motorcycle boots. _T_ _ool._

Waverly fought hard against whatever force he had over her, but the closer he got, the more intense the feeling became. The unnatural man stepped forward, closing the last bit of distance between them. 

"Cat got your tongue?" His voice was scratchy and unpleasant, like sandpaper in the woman's ears.

He reached up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, then let his dirty finger drop to softly trace the line of her tight jaw. Waverly took a mental note to pay extra attention to that spot while washing her face tonight if she made it out of this predicament alive. He hooked his finger under her chin and jerked her head up, forcing her to meet his intrusive gaze. 

“You've been poking your nose around where you shouldn't, haven't you Waverly? How many messages must we send you before you learn your lesson?" His breath invaded her nostrils, and it took everything in her to hold down the gag that threatened to make this interaction even worse than it already was. 

He leaned in closer, only inches away from her face, wearing the most evil expression Waverly had ever seen. 

"W-Waverly?" The familiar voice was timid, but it filled Waverly with hope.

The stranger looked over Waverly's shoulder to see who had interrupted his moment with the woman he'd finally been able to get alone. He moved his hand down to her delicate throat and squeezed forcefully. It didn't take much effort, but he lifted her up, leaving her feet kicking wildly as she fought for her breath. 

"Consider this your warning." 

He launched Waverly backwards, flinging her in the direction that the voice came from. 

She felt herself fall backwards, but the landing was softer than she expected. There was a loud thud, followed by an even louder groan. When Waverly realized she could move again, she looked up to see that her attacker was gone. Much like the last time, she felt like all of her energy had been drained from her body.

She rolled over, forcing the haze from her mind.

Only to discover that she was now laying on top of a _very_ confused, and slightly intoxicated Nicole Haught.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have so many ideas for this story, I hope my brain is capable enough to translate them into a glorious fic. *Sweats*


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff, fluff, and more fluff. Did I mention fluff?

"Well I've got to admit, this situation would be a lot less shitty if fewer clothes were involved." Waverly breathed out as she settled on top of the still stunned redhead. Neither woman made a move to get up, both relishing the feeling of their bodies this close. Instinctually, Nicole's hands gripped Waverly's hips as she straddled her on the cold sidewalk, the feeling of her fingertips grazing the slightly exposed skin there caused a shiver to run down the brunette's spine.

"Normally I like to take a girl out to dinner first, but i'll make an exception for you, Earp." Nicole gave her best shot at flirting while also trying to regain some of the air that had been knocked out of her lungs moments prior. Her only focus now being the excrutiating pain in her head, and the fact that Waverly's warm body was firmly pressing her into the ground. 

Nicole had been on her way back to Shorty's to retrieve her forgotten wallet when she noticed the odd exchange happening between Waverly and whoever it was that had been bothering her by the front of the alleyway. She was reluctant to interrupt, but something about the tension in Waverly's stance propelled her forward. Next thing she knew, the deceptively small woman was flying at her at an alarming rate, leaving her no time to prepare for the unanticipated impact. _Definitely not how the night was supposed to go._

A light shudder made it's way through Waverly as a night breeze blew around them, causing the last two functioning brain cells in Nicole's pounding head to short circuit. Her body stiffened at the sensation of Waverly squirming on top of her, and she attempted as hard as she could to focus her attention on anything _other_ than how good it felt. This was certainly not how Nicole pictured Wavrly's first time on top of her going. Not that she pictured it often...

"As badly as I'd like for this to continue," she swallowed down the gasp that threatened to spill out of her when she felt the petite woman gently grind her hips over Nicole's taut abs, "but I'm finding it quite difficult to...concentrate." The pounding of her head was making it hard to enjoy having Waverly on top of her. "And I'm pretty sure your boyfriend wouldn't be too happy about this." Nicole's head was spinning, the feeling of unconsciousness tugging at her. 

"Boyfriend?" Waverly's face scrunched in confusion. She still hadn't made an attempt to move off of the deputy, and Nicole wondered how rude it would be in that moment to just push her off before she got to witness her pass out. The throaty sound of Waverly's laughter was all that she heard before everything around her went dark.

"I told you Wynonna, it wasn't like that!" Waverly was exasperated with her sister's line of questioning; she was too busy trying to bring Nicole back to life. 

Wynonna disregarded her sister's tone. "Look, all I'm saying is, I walk out of the bar and BOOM! You're riding Haught-shot over here harder than the mechanical bull inside." She hooked her thumb gesturing towards a still passed out Nicole while wagging her eyebrows at Waverly. Doc, who had nearly fallen over Wynonna when they walked out of Shorty's to find the two women laying on the floor, stiffled a giggle. When Waverly shot him a dirty look, he stiffened next to the older brunette and tried to cover it with a cough.

"I was attacked again and she saved me." The younger woman spat back, settling her gaze on Wynonna. The amused expression she'd been wearing quickly faded as understanding washed over her. It quickly morphed to anger when she finally registered what her sister was referring to. 

"Which way did he go?" She was now kneeling down next to her sister, looking her dead in the eye, icy blue gaze filled with worry. 

"I'm not sure, he threw me into her and by the time I looked back up, he was gone. It was just like the last time, Wy. As hard as I tried, I couldn't move." 

Wynonna's eyes scruitinzed her sister's face, then paused on her neck. Faint bruising in the form of a handprint was beginning to form where the attacker had grabbed her. She snapped her eyes shut and inhaled deeply while pinching the bridge of her nose. Anger and disappointment settled within herself for not being there to protect her little sister. 

"When she wakes up, bring her to the Homestead, I want to know what she saw." With that, Wynonna got up to patrol near the alley. Doc not far behind her, nodded his head to Waverly before disappearing with the older woman. 

Waverly went back to tending Nicole, gradually becoming more and more concerned with each passing moment that she spent unconscious. She brought her hands up gently to grip her cheeks, rubbing small circles with her thumbs, admiring how soft the skin was. She took in how delicate the redheads features were, taking care to run her thumbs lightly over the dark circles that were forming under her eyes. Waverly's gaze fell to full pink lips that had settled into a tiny pout. She drew in her bottom lip, biting back a shy smile, and used her index finger to stroke them softly. 

"You're gorgeous you know," She trailed off, enamored by the sheer beauty that is Nicole Haught. "Probably the most gorgeous woman I've ever been lucky enough to have spill coffee on me." She spoke in a whisper, suddenly self-conscious with the admition. "Now can you please wake up? Because I _really_ want you to ask me on a date."

Nicole stirred beneath her and let out a small groan. 

She opened her eyes, squinting slightly to adjust to her surroundings. The sensation of warm hands gripping her face comforted her. She nuzzled into the open palm, and let out a content sigh. When she opened her eyes fully, her gaze settled on Waverly, who looked like an absolute angel. 

"Please tell me I'm in Heaven." The woman grinned, dimples on full display. Waverly beamed down at her, smiling equally as big, biting the tip of her tongue between perfectly straight teeth. 

"Nope, just Purgatory." The patient brunette shrugged, still holding Nicole's face. 

"In that case," she paused to push herself up off the ground with her elbows, wincing at the sharp pain that shot through her head, "how about you let me take you on a date, seeing as how I still need to make up for our first awkward encounter." She couldnt keep the sheepish grin off of her face as she recalled the coffee incident. 

"I thought you'd never ask!" Waverly exclaimed, but was reminded of something the redhead said before blacking out. "And for the record," she leaned forward, lips inches from Nicole's "I defintely do not have a boyfriend." Waverly let the statement linger between the two of them for a moment before rocking back on her heels and standing up, leaving a dazed Nicole to absorb what she'd just said. 

Nicole stumbled to her feet, fighting to find her balance. Her head was still foggy, she was positive it was less because of alcohol and more so because of the concussion she was sure she had. Waverly never left her side, the petite woman wrapped her arms around Nicole's waist to keep her steady while they walked to go find the others. 

"Wynonna wanted me to bring you to the Homestead, but I'm pretty sure I should take you to the hospital." 

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Nicole agreed, the pounding in her head still hadn't subsided, and the last thing she wanted was to have to deal with Wynonna Earp. 

The soft morning light peeking through the curtains of her bedroom window woke Nicole up from her dreams the next morning. It had all been a dream right? She rolled over to lay on her back, facing the ceiling and tried to recall everything that had happened last night. The last thing she remembered was Waverly walking her to the front door of her home, pressing a light kiss to her cheek before leaving. She'd offered multiple times to stay over and make sure Nicole was safe after the doctor confirmed that she did indeed have a concussion, but Nicole denied. She already felt bad enough for keeping the younger woman out so late. Waverly eventually ended up conceding, but not without difficulty. Nicole also remembered that one of the last things they did before saying farewell for the night was exchange phone numbers. 

She reached over to the nightstand, and picked up her phone. She prepared to send a 'thank you' text to Waverly for all of her help, but noticed that there were already a few texts from an unknown number. She unlocked the screen and smiled widely when she discovered that it was her favorite Earp. 

_"Good morning sleepy head!"_

_"_ _Okay that was a bit overly enthusiatic considering you're probably still not feeling well."_

_"It's Waverly by the way, if you still remember me."_

_"Waverly Earp. You know, the girl you asked out...on a daaate ;)"_

_"I'm sorry, I've had way too much coffee. Please text me when you wake up! I know where you live and will not hesitate to break your door down to make sure that you are alright!"_

Nicole was smiling from ear to ear. 

After typing out a few responses, she dragged herself out of bed to shower. Nothing sounded better than a hot shower to help soothe the dull headache that lingered from the night before. Actually, coffee...Coffee sounded better. 

She returned from her shower to find more texts waiting for her from Waverly. The playful tone had shifted to something Nicole didn't know if she was ready for. She sat at the edge of her bed towel drying her hair, mentally preparing herself for the day that she would spend getting interrogated by Wynonna Earp. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, don't be afraid to comment! I'm super ready for some feedback because my own paranoia and self-doubt is making it hard to be confident in my writing! :D *is toxic*


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! And for those of you who didn't celebrate, I hope your Thursday was... well I hope it was better than last Thursday!!

The closer Nicole got to The Earp Homestead, the harder it was for her to steel the nerves that were bubbling up in her chest. She tightened her grip on the steering wheel of her patrol car to keep her hands from shaking. She really had no reason to be nervous, but that didn't stop her mind from racing as she traveled down the long stretch of gravel road before pulling up to the house. From the outside, it didn't look like much, and it certainly didn't look like the scary house that all of her coworkers warned her about when she first started at the station. Of course she was aware of the gossip, but chose not to fall victim to the whispers about the crazy Earp sisters. From what she's witnessed and gathered for herself, Wynonna and Waverly were as normal as they could be in a town like Purgatory. 

Before getting out of the car, she double checked her appearance in the rearview mirror. "You can do this, Haught." She took a deep, steadying breath, and exited the vehicle with hope that the tension radiating off of her would go undetected by the inhabitants of the small residence. After the cloud of dust that got kicked up by her car settled, she took a moment to admire the landscape around her. It's a large stretch of property with enough achorage for a barn, and other small sheds scattered along the land. The Homestead itself is adorned by a cozy porch that appeared to be used often. It was inviting; the aura of the house was welcoming and cozy. Definitely Waverly Earp's home. 

Nicole made her way up the small steps leading to the front door and squared her shoulders before knocking soundly. It wasn't long before the door swung open to reveal her second favorite brunette. 

"Haught _damn._ " Wynonna trailed her eyes up and down Nicole, taking in the sight of her in uniform while letting out a low whistle. From stetson to boots, her blue eyes ogled Nicole, who couldn't keep the cocky grin off of her face. 

"Having fun objectifying me, Wynonna?" Nicole stated, thoroughly amused. She stood taller and crossed her arms over her chest, appreciating the sight of the eldest Earp sister biting her lip in the doorway. 

"Remind me again why I don't do cops?" 

Nicole chuckled, unable to hide how much she was enjoying this reaction from Wynonna. "Maybe because you're too good at getting out of the handcuffs they put you in now-a-days." 

"I'm sure my sister would love to know how talented you are with those handcuffs." 

Nicole faultered slightly, the mention of Waverly and Handcuffs in the same sentence was too much for her brain to comprehend. Wynonna noticed immediately and a knowing smirk overtook her features.

"You couldn't handle me anyway, Ginger Spice." She winked and then gestured for Nicole to enter the house. Nicole jumped at the opportunity, avoiding eye contact with the intimidating woman beside her. 

Upon entering, Nicole figured out immediately that Waverly was undoubtedly the one incharge of decorating the interior of The Homestead. Vibrant color schemes, family photos, and an alarming amount of decorative pillows adorned the inside of the dwelling. She had to admit that it was cute, and just like her original assumption, it was indeed very cozy and very welcoming. 

Wynonna led them to the kitchen and nodded towards the table for Nicole to take a seat.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" She asked with her back turned to Nicole.

"No, I'm okay. Where's Waverly?" The house was quiet, and a sinking feeling that Waverly wasn't there krept into her stomach. Not that she was necessarily uncomfortable being alone with Wynonna. She just looked forward to seeing the younger woman. On the drive over, Nicole spent most of the time figuring out how to offically ask Waverly on a date. She decided that dinner at a nice restaurant and a movie at her place to finish off the nice would be perfectly acceptable, considering there wasn't much to do in their small town anyways. The rest of the drive consisted of her practicing aloud how to ask Waverly to come back to her place in the most platonic tone possible. The last thing she wanted to do was make Waverly feel like there is an ulterior motive to her actions. 

Wynonna turned to face Nicole, eyeing her suspiciously. 

"What were you doing before my sister was attacked last night?" 

Confusion spread across Nicole's face. The sudden shift of Wynonna's demeanor caught her off-guard. She was unaware of the whole situation between Waverly and the strange man she stumbled upon last night. She cleared her throat before answering, not really knowing what to say.

"I was making my way back to Shorty's because I forgot my wallet."

"Why did you leave? You seemed to be having a pretty fun time hustling the pool table." Wynonna crossed her arms over her chest a leaned back into the counter, not taking her eyes off of the deputy.

Nicole thought back to the awkward situation between Waverly and her boyfriend...Not boyfriend? She shifted uncomfortably under Wynonna's intense gaze, and prayed that the woman didn't take that as her trying to hide information. 

"Something came up and I had to leave." 

"Oh yeah? Like what." 

"Jeez Wynonna, I thought I was the one that's supposed to be good at interrogations." 

"Cut the shit Red. What were you and your friend doing with my sister?"

"I have no clue what you're talking about." Nicole stated defensively. She failed to see where Wynonna was going with her questioning. 

"Your biker buddy. What the hell do you guys want with my sister!" Wynonna shouted, causing Nicole to flinch. 

"Wynonna I don't know what the fuck you're talking about! For christ's sake, I want to take your sister out to dinner, not hurt her!" Nicole yelled back matching the volume and intensity of the older woman. She wasn't about to let Wynonna make her feel like she had anything to do with the situation. A lightbulb went off in Nicole's brain. "Where were you all night, huh?" 

As soon as the words left her lips, she regretted it. The wild brunette recoiled, but shook it off immediately and her blue eyes narrowed at Nicole. 

"Are you accusing me of trying to hurt my own sister?" Her voice was as cold as ice, and stance was defensive, like she was ready to fight the officer in her own kitchen. 

"You don't seem to have a problem accusing _me._ I saw you cozied up with that cowboy at the bar, then all of a sudden, you disappeared. I didn't take you as the type to favor the company of a man over protecting your own family." Nicole knew she was crossing all kinds of lines with Wynonna, but she didn't appreciate the ambush. 

"You've got quite the set of balls to come into my house and accuse me of such a thing."

If looks could kill, then look Wynonna was currently giving Nicole would have killed her, and then brought her back to life just to kill her again. 

"I had nothing to do with what happened to Waverly." 

Wynonna leaned back into the counter and muled over Nicole's words. Seemingly satisfied, she abruptly turned around and snatched two shot glasses out of the cabinet above her. She then grabbed a bottle of Whiskey off the top off the fridge, and sat down across from Nicole. Without removing her eyes from the redhead, she poored two shots, and slid one over for Nicole. 

The deputy sat there for a moment, weighing her options. This must be a peace offering, and she knew that if she turned it down it would only create more tension between the two of them. She lifted the small glass to her lips slowly, leveling her gaze with Wynonna. The women saluted, then threw back the hooch in their glasses without even flinching. 

"I'm pleasantly surprised by you, Officer Haught."

"You wont be the only Earp saying that." 

Wynonna was unable to keep a grin from spreading across her features. She nodded slowly, understanding the hidden intent behind Nicole's statement.

"Waverly! You can come down now!" Wynonna yelled out, and Nicole blanched. Had Waverly been listening this whole time? 

The sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs made their way into the kitchen, but Nicole couldn't take her eyes off of Wynonna. She'd been played, and by the look of amusement on the face across from her, that had been the plan all along. 

"See, Wy? Told you she had nothing to do with it." Waverly gracefully sat down into the chair next to Nicole, who was still trying to recover from the surprise, and smiled at her warmly. "I told her you saved me, but she had to find out for herself because she's too overprotective for her own good." Nicole finally looked over to Waverly who was looking at her expectantly. The Brunette was wearing a nice blue turtleneck that hugged her in all the right places. Her flowing hair was cascading over her shoulders in the most beautiful way, and now Nicole was now dumbstruck for a whole new reason. 

"I was just in the right place at the right time." A blush krept it's way onto Nicole's cheeks. The moment Waverly entered the kitchen, it felt like the space heated up ten degrees. 

"Attractive _and_ modest? How did I get so lucky?" Waverly winked, and Nicole felt it between her legs. 

"And now apparently unable to speak. Which is crazy because just a few minutes ago she had no problem telling me about how bad she wanted to put you in handcuffs." Wynonna said mockingly. 

Nicole choked on her own spit and started coughing uncontrollably. 

"Wynonna!" Waverly reached over to comfort Nicole, but she pulled away, hoping that the lack of oxygen to her brain would cause her to drop dead so she wouldn't have to look Waverly in the eye ever again.

"What?! Her words, not mine!" 

Waverly stiffled her laughter as she got up to get a glass of water. Nicole glared at Wynonna who blew her a kiss while her sister had her back turned to the pair. 

Nicole chugged the water that was given to her, and coughed out a thank you before getting up from the table to leave. 

"Are you really going already?" The brunette frowned, visibly disappointed.

"Yeah I have to be to work soon," Nicole trailed off and adjusted her stetson, standing awkwardly in the kitchen as both Earp women stared at her. Waverly made no effort to hide the fact that she was checking out the officer as she stood waiting for someone to walk her out. 

"I, uh, I'll just let myself out?" 

"No! Let me walk you out!" Waverly offered quickly, and grabbed Nicole by her arm to lead her to the front door. 

"Catch you later, Haughty!" Wynonna called out from the kitchen. Nicole didn't bother turning around to say anything, Waverly already had her out of the door before she got the chance. 

When the women were away from Wynonna, Nicole visibly noticeably relaxed. Some of her confidence returned to her when she looked over at Waverly, again catching her looking her up and down. 

"Like what you see?" She flashed her dimpled smirk at Waverly, and she blushed. 

"Actually...Yes. Yes I do." Waverly took a small step forward to close the gap that was between them.

"Do does this mean I finally get to ask you on a date?" Nicole asked, eyeing the shorter woman expectantly. The huge, eye-crinkling smile she got in return almost made her heart explode. 

"I thought you'd never ask." 

"How about I pick you up tomorrow at eight?"

"Sounds perfect. I'll text you later for details on what to wear." 

They looked at each other for a moment before Nicole made the move to bring the smaller woman into a tight hug. Waverly returned it immediately, fitting into the deputy perfectly. The smell of Waverly's shampoo and perfume permiated through Nicole's senses. Could anything smell better than this?

Reluctantly, Nicole pulled back to meet hazel eyes. There was a look in them Nicole had never seen from Waverly before, and it made her throat go dry. She smiled, and turned to leave, fighting the urge to kiss her right there on the porch. 

Before she sat down in her patrol car, Waverly called out to her.

"Hey Nicole? Thank you for getting that information for me the other day. I never got the chance to properly thank you."

"I'd do a lot of things to you, Waverly Earp."

"For me?" A wide smirk made it's way onto Waverly's lips.

"Right! For you! I'd do a lot of things _for_ you! Er, bye!"

Nicole slammed the door of her cruiser and refused to look at the woman who was shaking with laughter as she pulled out and away from the Homestead. While she made her way down the gravel road, she passed by an oncoming vehicle. Her and the driver locked eyes; it was the same man that she encountered the other day in their office at the station. She clenched her jaw. How did he know the Earps?

Nicole arrived for her shift later that afternoon following her long drive back from The Homestead still buzzing with excitement for her upcoming date with Waverly. She hasn't had the chance to be this eager for a date in a long time, so she let herself be wrapped up in the refreshing feeling that it had over her. However, upon entering the station, all feelings of elation left her as she took in the current state of the station. It was in complete chaos. She'd never seen this many officers present at one time, some she'd never even seen before were running around like the place was on fire. They were all burried in paperwork, talking amongst each other animatedly. They all looked incredibly worried.

She quickly made her way to Sherriff Nedley's office to be notified of what was going on. The door was open, and when she took in the sight of the gruff man sitting behind his desk shuffling through documents, she knew something was wrong. He looked more stressed out than she's ever seen him since starting at the Purgatory Police Department. He looked up at her, and sighed. His lips formed a tight line on his face.

"What the hell is going on?" Nicole asked breathlessly. The hairs on the back of her neck were starting to stand up, and her heart started to race. This was never a look she wanted from the Sherriff. Her mind drifted to Waverly and Wynonna. Had something happened while she was driving back? 

"Last night at around 2am, there was a quadruple homicide outside of Shorty's." He spoke evenly, quietly studying her reaction. 

"Shit. What have we got so far?"

"All males. All in their mid-twenties. All... decapitated." 

Nicole's stomach lurched, and she silently reprimanded herself for not eating breakfast this morning, remembering that she only had a shot of whiskey in her system. 

"Random attack?" She forced herself to calm down. She'd never heard of anything like this happening in a town like this before.

"Looks like a drug deal gone wrong. As for the decapitating, we've never had to deal with a crime of this magnitude before." Nedley looked uneasy, it was starting to make Nicole nervous.

"What do you need me to do?" The confidence in her tone masked how she really felt. 

"Go over some of the photos of the crime scene, and then go take statements from the other patrons of the bar."

"Sir." She turned to leave, but he called for her. She paused halfway through the door.

"I know you were there last night. I want you to think back on any suspicious activity you might have seen. Also," He took a deep breath to steady his nerves, "I need you to reach out to the Earps... A friend of theirs is a victim." He looked down at his desk and deflated. 

"Yes sir." 

Nicole briskly walked over to her desk. When she sat down, a folder containing the photos of the crime scene was already waiting for her. She opened it, and immediately closed her eyes. The amount of gore she was greeted with was enough to make even the most seasoned officers light headed. She'd certainly never seen anything like it, even in training. She drew in a shaky deep breath to try and settle the nausea in her stomach. 

She opened her eyes again and studied the photographs, observing each graffic detail closely. After about ten minutes of looking over the photographs, she decided to make her way over to Shorty's to begin her questioning.

Before she got up to leave, something the Sherriff said made it's way back to her memory, and she sighed.

Reaching for the phone on her desk, she prepared to break the news to Wynonna about their friend.

She didn't have the heart to call Waverly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got to give a shoutout to my girlfriend for keeping me motivated to write this even though my crippling perfectionism has been making it really difficult. Also, to @catKatfan521 for interacting with me in the comments!! Thank you readers. Don't be afraid to let me know if I made any mistakes :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not good with tags, so I guess I should start including trigger warnings in the notes with updates. This story is my take on crime writing mixed with our fave characters and story line. There will definitely be elements of gore, murder, assault, and drug use. I will do my best to warn everyone at the beginning of the updates! 
> 
> Also, work is going to start getting pretty crazy for me, so updates wont be as frequent as they were. I'm going to aim for 1-2 updates a week to keep this moving along. I appreciate all the patience, as well as the Kudos it's been recieving lately. I don't have anyone proof reading this for me, so I apologize for any errors you might come across while reading. Feel free to let me know if you see anything that needs to be changed! You're all awesome!

"Jacob Daniels. Male victim number 1, DOB 08/15/1990. Cause of death, decapitation. Time of death, approximately 2:40 AM." The Coroner read aloud to Nicole as she studied the body on the examination table. The smell of formaldehyde was burning her nostrils and beginning to make her light headed. She wondered how the coroner didn't go home sick every night because of it. She looked up to watch the medical examiner while he made his way to the next table. He was much younger than she would have anticipated, she never thought any one around her age would choose a profession as dark as this one. He was wearing large, thick glasses that kept sliding down his sweaty nose while they walked. His unbelievably pale complexion and permanent frown lines made her shudder. 

"Scott Abrams. Male victim number 2, DOB 02/08/1989. Cause of death, decapitation. Time of death, approximately 2:46 AM." Nicole scribbled notes in her small pocket notebook. She focused hard on breathing through her mouth to block the wave of nausea that was rising in her stomach. She didn't want to hear this anymore, the monotonous voice of the coroner was like nails on a chalk board. He seemed so unfazed by all of it while Nicole felt like the walls of the room were caving in. This part of the process was something she absolutely did not look forward to. 

"Jack Meadows. Male victim number 3. DOB 11/15/1990. Cause of death, decapitation. Time of death, approximately 2:53 AM." The deputy was starting to tingle in all the wrong places. She tugged gently at the collar of her shirt, attempting to remain as calm as possible. The sight of the four headless bodies was getting to her. When she volunteered for this, she knew it wouldn't be easy, but she was up for the challenge. She was starting to realize that she severely overestimated her abilities. She wanted Nedley to know that she was willing to do the tough jobs, but this might have been a little out of her league. 

"Perry Croft. Male victim number 4. DOB 06/19/1990. Cause of death, decapitation. Time of death, approximately 3:11 AM." The coroner shifted his gaze up from the paperwork in front of him to focus on Nicole. He examined her closely, and it only made her feel more suffocated. She kept her eyes trained on her notepad, making no attempt to make eye contact with the man. There was a minor tremble in her hand, and she hoped that it went unnoticed. He cleared his throat, and she finally looked up at him, no longer able to hide her discomfort.

"Did you need to step out?" He shot her an understanding look. "This one is... is pretty brutal." His eyes flicked back to the four bodies laid out before them, all uncovered, all naked, all stiff and cold. Nicole couldn't take it anymore. She turned abruptly out of the room, and was barely able to make it to the hallway before retching into a nearby trashcan. 

When she looked back up, the coroner was behind her. He held out a few tissues and a small glass of water for her. 

"Thanks." She said weakly. She attempted a small smile, but it ended up looking more like a grimace. The man chuckled at her softly. 

"Don't feel bad. You're not the first person that has happened to, and you certainly wont be the last." He pat her on the shoulder awkwardly before turning back and disappearing into the examining room. 

Nicole wanted to follow him, wanted to prove to herself that she could do this, yet her legs would not move. Trepidation held her firmly in place. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, releasing slowly out of her nose. 

"You didn't have to do this, you know." A familiar voice spoke out from behind Nicole. 

"How else am I supposed to prove that I'm the best deputy you've got around here." She said without turning around. She smiled softly, hoping that Nedley hadn't just seen her vomiting into a trashcan.

She heard him laugh, and then felt his hand grip her shoulder gently. He finally came into view and smiled at her, amusement in his eyes.

"Nicole, you think I don't already know that?" 

"I just felt like you were keeping me from all the good stuff, you know, sheltering me a bit." She shrugged sheepishly, unable to keep the sad tone from her voice. 

"I wouldn't call it sheltering. I would call it, waiting for the right thing to come along."

"So this is the right thing?"

Nedley slowly nodded, and then handed her a folder. 

"I want you to follow this as closely as you can. I know you were at Shorty's the night this happened, and I know you encountered something first hand with Waverly Earp. Now I'm not saying that the incidents are related, but I do think you should look into it. See what they know." 

All she could do was nod her head in agreement as he spoke, absorbing that he was finally assigning her to case. Her first _real_ case. He turned to make his way back down the hallway towards his office. 

"Oh and by the way," he paused to turn back and look at the smiling woman behind him, "I'm sure those police reports about gang activity you gave them a couple of days ago will help you guys figure out whatever it is that's going on in this town." He winked. She blused furiously, and tried to think of a good excuse.

"Sir, I--"

"Don't worry about it, kiddo. Wynonna and Waverly are waiting for you at the front desk. Get back to work." He turned, strolling back to his office while whistling a simple melody. 

Nicole watched his figure disappear down the long hallway before attempting to gather herself the best she could in the reflection of the glass window before going to speak with the Earps. When her appearance was somewhat back to normal, she let her eyes focus on the body of their friend. Perry Croft was a well known name around town, and apparently a close friend to Wynonna. Unfortunately Nicole never had the pleasure of meeting him. Sherriff Nedley had informed the woman of his standing with the community, so it baffled everyone that he'd been caught up in the mix with this particular group of men. 

With a final breath to brace herself for the conversation with Wynonna and Waverly, she made her way to the front of the station, walking with as much confidence as she could despite the minor tremble in her hands. 

The redhead had never experienced this version of Wynonna. She was sure Waverly hadn't either due to the look of pure worry that settled on the brunette's soft features. Wynonna sat there in the uncomfortable office chair completely silent as Nicole described the crime scene. Before the conversation had started, Nicole mentioned that she was going to spare as many of the gruesome details as she could, but Wynonna protested and insisted that she not leave anything out. Much to her dismay, Nicole obliged, filling both women in on what had happened only hours after they'd all left Shorty's.

Waverly tried to stay strong through it all, but a few stray tears managed to make their way down her flushed cheeks. She swiped at them harshly, willing them to stop falling. She needed to be strong for her sister, but knew how much Perry had meant to Wynonna. They were long time friends, sharing a similar family background that helped them bond while they grew up. To Waverly's knowledge, the pair had even dated briefly before Wynonna couldn't take the whispers about her or the Earp family any longer and left town. 

When Nicole finished telling them all of the information the department currently had on the situation, she gently patted Wynonna on her knee before going to get them all a cup of coffee. When she returned, she noticed that Wynonna had finally moved from her rigid position in the office chair. She was leaned over Nicole's desk looking at the photographs of the crime scene. Her blue eyes rapidly flicked over the images, only to settle on the one Nicole knew was of Perry. 

"Can I see him?" The steely brunette managed to speak out, just above a whisper. Waverly's eyes went wide at her request, and Nicole shifted awkwardly on her feet. The last thing she wanted was for Wynonna to undergo the same thing she'd gone through earlier. 

Before she could say anything, Waverly took the brief moment of silence as an opportunity to comfort her sister. 

"Wy, I don't think that is a good idea." The caring woman spoke softly while gently rubbing small circles on Wynonna's back while she was still leaned over Nicole's desk studying the photographs. 

Nicole still hadn't found any words, she stood there holding three coffee cups in her hands, not wanting to intrude on their moment. 

Wynonna tensed under Waverly's touch, and looked up at Nicole. Her gaze was like ice, and in that moment, the deputy knew she had no choice.

"I'll be fine Waverly. I need to see him. Nicole, take me to him. Please." She stated firmly, clenching her jaw and stepping away from Waverly's warm touch. 

Waverly looked to Nicole with desperation in her eyes, pleading with her to not entertain Wynonna, but Nicole knew that she was fighting a losing battle. 

"Please." Waverly mouthed to her, not wanting to upset her sister further by saying it out loud.

Nicole set the cups down, unable to look Waverly in the eyes as she gathered the documents laid out across her desk.

"Wynonna, follow me please." Nicole knew there was no winning in this situation. Either way, she was going to disappoint someone, but she knew Waverly would forgive her. At least she hoped she would be forgiven. 

Wynonna nodded and followed closely behind Nicole with her arms held tightly crossed over her chest. Waverly reluctantly followed both women, shooting daggars at Nicole's back as they made their way down the lonely hallway leading to the room Nicole didn't think she'd be visiting again so soon.

A few steps from the door, Nicole turned around to look Wynonna in the eyes. They were vacant, the life behind them gone. Nicole chanced a glance at Waverly, who was studying her sister intently and effectively ignoring Nicole's existence. 

Nicole tried to shake the tension that had settled in her shoulders out before adressing Wynonna. 

"I need you to understand that what you're about to see in here is..." She stopped to clear her throat, not knowing how to proceed. The look Wynonna was giving her stopped her dead in her tracks.

"I don't _need_ to do anything, Haught. Let me in." Wynonna squared her shoulders and stepped towards the redhead indimidatingly. Nicole refused to back down. 

"Wynonna, please hear me out. Quite frankly, what you're about to see in there is incredibly disturbing. I need to know that you're ready for this." 

Nicole reached her hand out and placed it gingerly on Wynonna's shoulder to convey that she cared for her. The woman stiffened under her touch, but her eyes softened.

"I promise, I'll be fine. Now please... Let me see him." 

The deputy stepped away from the women to open the door, catching the attention of the coroner she'd encountered earlier.

He smiled at her warmly, then his gaze landed on the two women behind her and it wavered slightly. 

"They're here to see one of the Victims. They were close." Nicole informed the uneasy man as he sat behind his desk.

He stared at the redhead for a long moment before drawing in a breath through his nose, slowly nodding his head in understanding.

"I've already put all of them away for the evening. You'll all have to wait here for a second while I prep him. What was the name?"

"Perry. Perry Croft." Wynonna breathed out before Nicole could answer. 

The pale man stood up from his chair and excused himself from the room. 

Nicole risked a glance over her shoulder back at the sisters as they waited in the coroner's small office. She locked eyes with Waverly for a split second before snapping her head forward again, ashamed that she'd gone against the woman's wishes about bringing them down here. Maybe forgiveness wouldn't be earned as easily as she thought. Before she could dwell on anything, the man returned and signaled that it was okay for them to enter. 

The deputy lead them into the cold examining room, the smell of formaldehyde still lingering heavily in the air. She shuddered as the foul smell made it's way to her stomach causing a similar reaction to the one she'd experienced earlier.

Once they were all in the small space, the lone body of Perry Croft laying on the frigid autopsy table came into view. 

Nicole heard the sound of a shocked gasp escape Waverly's lips, she turned to her in time to see the look of horror and disgust on her face before the woman attempted to mask her features. She threw caution to the wind and slowly approached the smaller woman to comfort her. Nicole moved in front of her to block Perry from view, and gingerly took both of Waverly's hands in her own to bring them up to her chest. Waverly looked up at her, hazel eyes void of any emotion. 

"Waverly, do you need to leave?" She asked quietly, observing the unreadable expression on the brunette's face. 

"I need to be here for Wynonna." Was all she said before roughly removing her hands from Nicole's soft grasp and shoving them into the pockets of her thick winter coat. 

Nicole awkwardly stepped back, not wanting to upset the woman further, and hoped that the hurt expression on her face went unnoticed by the woman in front of her.

The sound of Wynonna gently sobbing caused both women to focus their attention back towards the autopsy table. When both women looked over at Wynonna, she was bent over slightly looking at Perry. His head, although detatched, was laid out with the rest of the body, sitting just above where it should have been near his neck. The older brunette's hand hovered over Perry's forehead as she fought the urge to touch him. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks unchecked as all the emotions she'd been hiding earlier bubbled to the surface. Waverly rushed to comfort the woman. 

"Don't touch me." Wynonna snapped out, not even bothering to look up from Perry.

Waverly recoiled at the harsh tone of her sister before taking a few steps backwards and running out of the room, muttering apologies on her way out. 

Nicole was torn. She knew that Waverly needed her, but she also didn't want to leave Wynonna in here to deal with this on her own. 

As if she was reading her thoughts, Wynonna turned her gaze towards Nicole. 

"Go talk to her. I'll be fine in here." She didn't wait for Nicole to respond, she simply turned back to Perry and stood motionless as she waited for Nicole to leave.

"I'm so sorry Wynonna," Nicole didn't know what else to say before she turned on her heel to go find Waverly. 

She stumbled out into the hallway and didn't make it far before the sounds of Waverly crying caught her attention. The woman was sitting on the floor with her back against the wall and her head in her hands. Her knees were brought all the way up to her chest, Nicole could see that she was rocking back and fourth slightly. The redhead knelt down slowly beside Waverly, but made no move to touch her, the rejection from inside the examination room still stinging her slightly. 

"Waverly?" Nicole tried to coax her gently, fighting the urge to wrap the younger woman in a giant hug to make her feel better. 

"She doesn't deserve any of this." Waverly stated firmly and kept her head in her hands, not wanting Nicole to see her tear stained face. 

"Neither of you do." Nicole answered back, admiring how even though Waverly was also hurting, she still made it a point to bring all the attention to Wynonna. 

A humorless chuckle made it's way out of Waverly and she looked up at Nicole incredulously. 

"Perry was a great guy, but he wasn't really my friend. He was Wynonna's. They were so close right up until she left town." Waverly brought her gaze down to her hands where she fiddled with some of the skin that was hanging off of her thumb. "He was the only person growing up that didn't treat her like there was something fucking wrong with her, while the rest of this horrible town treated her like-" she trailed off and breathed in deep, swallowing down the anger that threatened to spill out, "they treated her like absolute shit, Nicole. So no, this isn't about both of us. It's about her, and she doesn't deserve any of it." 

Nicole flinched back. She knew Waverly was upset, so she tried not to let her bitey tone bother her so much, especially during these circumstances, but all she was trying to do was help. 

Waverly noticed the change in Nicole's demeanor and sighed. She wasn't trying to be rude, but this whole day had been incredibly taxing on her nerves. 

"Look, I'm sorry. I know you're just trying to make me feel better. I shouldn't be so mean."

"No, it's-it's alright. I shouldn't speak on something I don't know anything about." Nicole offered Waverly a small smile to try and lighten the heavy mood that had settled over the both of them. She wanted nothing more than to be able to say the right things to help comfort Waverly, but her current approach wasn't working. She looked over at the woman curled up on the floor in front of her, and her breath caught in her throat. 

Waverly looked so vulnerable in that moment, her hazel eyes brimming with a new wave of tears that threatened to overflow. Nicole's heart sank in her chest; seeing the brunette this upset did something to her. She had to clench her hands into tight fists in her pockets to again stop herself from reaching out and comforting the distraght woman.

"Wynonna is one of the strongest women I know." Nicole stated with as much conviction she could muster. "She'll get through this, and we will find who did this to her friend." She reached out, hoping that running the tip of her finger over the back of Waverly's hand would be okay as she continued to speak. "I promise I'll do everything in my power to bring Perry justice." 

The brunette watched Nicole's finger trace lightly over her hand, not fighting back the tear that fell from her eye. 

"Why are you so nice to me?" She whispered so softly Nicole wasn't sure she heard her correctly. She swallowed hard and brought up her finger to gently wipe the tear off of Waverly's cheek. The woman leaned into the touch, finally bringing her gaze to meet Nicole's.

"I can tell that you're something special, Waverly Earp. I just want you to know that I'm here for you." The sincerity in her own voice shocked Nicole. She knew that she liked Waverly, but she was unaware of how deep those feelings actually went. Nicole knew wholeheartedly that she wanted to learn everything about the brunette, but the date conversation would have to be stored away for a more appropriate time. 

A ghost of a smile made it's way across Waverly's pink lips, and Nicole smiled back at her Warmly, dimple on full display. Waverly looked like she was about to say something, but the sound of a throat clearing behind them forced them out of the moment they were sharing with each other. 

Nicole stood up quickly, and faced Wynonna as she stood outside the door to the morgue. 

The women shared a knowing look as Waverly slowly rose to her feet next to Nicole. 

"Haught, I want you to tell me everything you know. The bastards that did this are going to pay."

The finality in Wynonna's tone left no room for objection. Nicole nodded while never breaking eye contact with her and knew. Fighting crime alongside these two women was where she belonged. Nothing had ever felt more right in her life. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I don't lose any of you because of what i'll be writing about. Those of you that are sticking around or just doscovering this story, hang tight, thar be bumpy waters ahead.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Those of you that are still here, welcome back. Those of you that are new to this story, howdy. I'm going to take the general lack of response to the last chapter I posted as a sign that the majority of y'all are okay with a crime story :D Here we go!!

The weeks that passed after Nicole decided to partner up with The Earp's to work on the case that rocked the small town of Purtgatory, were eventful for the trio to say the least. Nicole finally got the chance to meet the rest of their team, and after the short amount of time spent with them, she finally understood why they were all so close. The group of misfits took her in like she'd known them for years, and the officer couldn't be happier to be apart of such an accepting group of individuals. She was nervous at first, but that feeling quickly subsided when they took the time to make her feel like one of them.

There's Jeremy Chetri, who the redhead had quickly taken a liking to because of his infectious passion for problem solving. His bubbly personality, and overall cheery outlook on life never failed to put a smile on Nicole's face, even when the progress of the case faltered. His clumsiness and general lack of a filter were two things that she was more than willing to put up with if it meant that she got to be around him more than the others. 

There's Doc Holliday, who if Nicole didn't know any better was the one keeping Wynonna's bed warm at night, but she would never be bold enough to ask. The undeniable tension between him and Wynonna that they both refused to acknowledge was almost suffocating to be around. The man's old-timey demeanor always made Nicole chuckle. There was something about him that the woman could tell wasn't of this time, but she'd come to realize after being around all of them that Purgatory had way too many secrets to keep track of. Doc Holliday was surely one of those well kept secrets. 

Finally, there's Doll's. Officer Xavier Dolls to be more specific, who Nicole had already encountered long before actually meeting him, was quite possibly one of the least welcoming people she'd ever met in her life. It was tense when they were offically introduced, the woman could tell right off the bat the man was unhappy with her addition to their group, but Wynonna left little room for argument during his intial protests. The two quickly learned that they got more accomplished when they stayed out of each other's way. There was something about him that constantly made Nicole feel on edge, but she brushed it aside with the hopes that it would make getting to know him easier. Wynonna and Waverly were constantly reassuring her that it was simply how he was, so she put her head down and stopped questioning it. 

While the team continued to work, the town was completely on edge, still not fully recovered from the crime that had taken place. The eerie feeling that settled over Purgatory lingered like heavy winter rainfall; it was thick and cold and not going anywhere. Patrols had been stepped up at Nicole's request, and Sheriff Nedley quickly obliged. Between the extra time on duty, and the time spent working on the case with the team, Nicole felt like she was burning herself out. Regardless of how tired she felt, the woman burried herself in her work, and refused to complain, knowing that whoever committed this crime was still out there wandering the streets.

Even with all of the long hours and time consumed by this case, Nicole still found herself occupied every so often with thoughts of Waverly. The two women never really got the chance to be alone together, but that never stopped the casual stolen glance or lingering touch.

One night after a long day of interviewing witnesses and going over piles of paperwork, Nicole was desperate to blow off some of the stress that had accumulated throughout the day. She decided to utilize the station gym, bussying herself with an old punching bag that had defintely seen better days. She stripped down to only her sports bra and a pair of small exersize shorts she'd found burried in her duffle bag before attacking the bag with the pent up aggression similar to that of a caged lion. By the time she noticed Waverly watching her from the doorway of the gym, she was already a sweaty disgusting mess.

Waverly was acutely aware of how good Nicole looked clothed, but a half-naked Nicole Haught covered in sweat and grunting while beating the life out of a punching bag really did it for her.

She'd wandered off to see if the deputy had any new information to share after her day of questioning, but when the curious brunette found Nicole in the gym, it was hard to form a single sentence when she looked that _good._ Nicole's muscles flexed wildly as she threw merciless puches at the bag, causing Waverly's mouth go dry. The brunette didn't even know how long she'd been gawking at the depty before she paused her workout and caught her staring. Waverly could feel heat consuming her face, and rising in her stomach at the sight before her. 

Nicole couldn't keep the wide smirk off her face as she took in Waverly's slack jaw and hungry gaze. "Enjoying the show?" Was all she got the chance to say before a deep crimson blush stretched it's way over Waverly's face and up to the tops of her ears after realizing she'd been caught watching. Nicole laughed quietly to herself following Waverly's hasty exit. The flustered brunette caused a different type of frustration to take over Nicole, so she stayed an extra half an hour working through the warmth that had settled in her bones. 

The cofindence Nicole felt a few days after that late night gym encounter is what drove her to get out of bed before her alarm even had the chance to go off. She wanted to give herself enough time to get Waverly her favorite coffee on the way to work, a gesture she was sure would be a nice segue into the date connversation. It was time to have a night to themselves, the redhead was desperate to get to know the younger woman on a more personal level. There was something about her, that no matter how hard she tried, Nicole couldn't help but be drawn to the warm-heartedness that radiated from Waverly Earp.

With hot coffees in hand, Nicole made her way through the sleepy station, smiling at the familiar faces that barely acknowledged her presence. She felt cheery despite the heavy attitude that had been plauging the station for weeks, it almost made her feel guilty, but she swallowed that down and continued towards the office. Before entering, she straightened her posture and let the small smile that had been tugging at the corners of her lips take over. She could no longer contain the excitement she felt about seeing Waverly. 

The smile fell instantly when she walked in and saw Dolls going through Waverly's desk. Well _shit._ This is not how she was expecting the morning to go. 

Dolls stiffened immediately at the unwanted intrusion, his eyes searched hers for some sort of explanation as to why she was there so early. 

"Do you know where Waverly is?" She always tried to keep her tone as light as possible when interacting with the cold man, but there was something about his unusually agitated state that put a hint of suspicion in her voice. She kept her eyes on his, and something flashed behind his dark expression that she'd never seen before. It was gone before she got the chance to analyze it further.

"I sure don't. Might want to find her though, we've got some leads that I feel are worth persuing." He was tense, more so than usual, but Nicole chalked it up to him having to speak with her this early in the morning. The more time she was forced to spend around him, she realized that there was no way she would be able to prove she was worthy of his time. There was simply no way of pleasing this man. 

"Did you need help finding something?" The deputy felt the need to try and be helpful, but there was also something in the way that Dolls was acting right now that made her suspicious. 

He chuckled at her sarcastically, "now why on earth would I need _your_ help finding anything in _my_ office?" 

Nicole knew the question was rhetorical, but there was a heat rising in her chest that she was too exhausted to try and keep down. 

"Well normally when people already know where things are, they don't look like a dear in headlights when someone walks into _their_ office."

The words were out before she could stop them. She didn't regret them, especially when Dolls stiffened under her gaze.

His mouth crooked up into a wide smirk, and he set down the papers in his hand roughly on top of Waverly's desk with a loud thud. He walked around the desk and made his way over to Nicole with a glint of rage in his eyes.

"Look, I know you probably feel real important because Nedley decided to give you the big girl case, but you have no idea who you're dealing with when it comes to me or this team. You're out of your league, rookie. I suggest you find your place, and find it quick because when Waverly and Wynonna grow bored of your presence here, I can make your time at this station a nightmare." 

He was close enough for Nicole to feel the tension radiating from him. They glared at each other with steely expressions and clenched jaws, neither one willing to back down.

"Lovers quarrel?" The familiar voice spoke sarcastically from the doorway of the office, but the pair kept their eyes on each other.

"Nicole here was just looking for you actually." Dolls spoke without taking his eyes off of Nicole. "I left some documents on your desk for you to go over when you get the chance."

With that, he turned and left, nodding curtly at Waverly before making his way out the door and down the long hallway of the station.

Nicole stood in the middle of the office with both coffees in her hands trying to calm her racing heart. What was his problem? Nicole hadn't done a single thing to the man for him to have so much animosity towards her. 

"Everything okay between you two?" Waverly shook off her heavy winter coat and placed it on the desk nearest to her before kicking the door shut with the back of her heel. A look of concern had taken over her normally soft features after studying Nicole's rigid posture. The brunette walked over to Nicole and stood directly in front of her, the close proximity would normally make Nicole's head spin, but all she could think about was Doll's and his hostility. 

"Hey," Waverly spoke softly, "what happened?" She reached up to lay a soft touch on Nicole's cheek. The sudden contact made Nicole jump, and Waverly snatched her hand back like she'd been burned by an open flame. The woman stepped back, putting some distance between the two of them. 

"I'm sorry! It's-It's nothing. I just don't understand why he hates me so much." Nicole shrugged, and offered Waverly a small reassuring smile. 

Waverly returned the smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. 

"He hates everyone. Everyone except for Wynonna." 

A humorless chuckle made it's way out of Nicole and she shook her head. No one would understand what she meant, so she swallowed her pride and tried to focus on Waverly. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, letting the smell of lavender and honey permiate her senses, taking her far away from the office and as far away from her interaction with Dolls as possible.

When she opened her eyes, Waverly was watching her closely. Hazel eyes searched for answers in her expression, but Nicole schooled her features and held out the coffee she'd been holding out to the skeptical woman in front of her. 

"I got this for you. I know how much you hate the coffee here at the station, so I wanted to stop and get you something this morning. I hope that's okay?" Nicole smiled sheepishly, hoping that this would distract Waverly from asking more questions about what she'd walked in on earlier. 

Waverly's eyes went wide, and she smiled so wide it caused the corners of her eyes to crinkle the slightest bit. This was Nicole's favorite smile.

"You didn't have to do that!" The deputy let out a breath, thankful that the distraction worked.

"I know, but I wanted to. You've been helping me so much with the case, it's just something to show that I appreciate you." This part was the truth, Nicole didn't know what she'd do without Waverly, or the rest of the group for that matter. Coffee was the least she could do.

The brunette beamed at her. Now or never, Nicole thought.

"Also, I was kind of wondering if maybe you were ready for that date?" Nicole rubbed the back of her neck nervously, all the confidence she'd felt prior to Waverly's arrival had been sucked out of her by Agent Dolls.

"You're pretty cute when you're nervous, Officer Haught." Waverly gripped the coffee cup right under her nose, letting the tendrils of steam and the warm scent of coffee invade her senses. She stood there smirking at the redhead, watching as a light tint of pink dusted across Nicole's cheeks. "I really thought you'd forgotten all about our date. I'm free tonight at 8, how does that sound?" Waverly eyed the woman expectantly, thoroughly enjoying the effect she had on her. 

Nicole regained some of her confidence from earlier, and took a step towards Waverly, closing the small gap between them and forcing Waverly into the desk behind her. The smaller woman looked up to meet her gaze.

"If you think I'm cute when I'm nervous, just wait and see how good I look when I'm feeling confident." Waverly's breath hitched in her throat at the proximity, she fought to gain the upper hand again, but Nicole was egged on by Waverly's lack of poise. 

she brought up her free hand to tuck a stray lock of Waverly's hair behind her ear, and felt a surge of heat course through her veins when the woman shuddered from the contact. 

"I think you're the one that's cute when you're nervous, Miss Earp." Nicole chuckled softly, but it caught in her throat when Waverly licked her lips. Hazel eyes burned with a fire the deputy wasn't expecting to find there. 

Nicole reached out to set her coffee cup down on the desk next to Waverly's trembling hand. When she went to look back to the brunette in front of her, something tucked away in one of the folders caught her gaze, she leaned in and squinted hard at it trying to get a better look. Without realizing it, she'd unconciously leaned some of her weight into Waverly, the small gasp that made it's way out of her snapped her back to reality. 

She backed up, and immediately missed the closeness. 

"Waverly, look..." She trailed off as she made her way around the desk. Waverly huffed, but turned to look at what Nicole was looking for. 

Nicole opened the folder to study what had caught her attention, and gently lifted up a small, semi faded photograph of a man that she'd only seen once but would never forget.

"What is it?" Waverly asked, voice laced with faint irritation. Under different circumstances Nicole would have found this amusing, but right now the sinister gaze of the man in the photograph was making it hard for her brain to focus on anything else at the moment. 

"Isn't this...?" Nicole was unable to finish the sentence, her mind was buzzing with foggy memories of a night that seemed so long ago. 

Waverly grabbed the photograph out of Nicole's hands with little care. 

"What the hell am I supposed to be looking at?" Her face scrunched up in confusion, but when the realization of who she was looking at sunk in, the photo fell on the desk and the color drained from her face. "Holy shit." 

The women shared a knowing glance before Waverly was able to find her voice. 

"We need to call Wynonna."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, this is a short chapter. However, I figured it was better than nothing! As always, thank you for reading and for being patient with me about the slow updates. Y'all are the best. Comment and let me know how you're feeling about it so far :) they keep me motivated.


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